Emrys
by Valkyriexx
Summary: 'Morgana is searching for a powerful sorcerer; a Warlock by the name of Emrys. It is imperative we find him first.' No Slash! S4 AU. IDOM!
1. Prologue

**I wanted to get this up before the finale (OMG IT'S THE FINALE! EEEEEEEEEKKK!) tonight! AU Set post Secret Sharer, completely disregarding anything afterwards. How I think Morgana and Agravaine would react to the Emrys situation. Enjoy and Merry Christmas! **

_**Prologue**_

Morgana paced, her eyes glaring at the door, daring it to open.

Agravaine was becoming more of an inconvenience than a blessing. He had failed her in the most simplest of tasks; he hadn't even been able to locate Emrys.

'My Lady?'

She whirled round, her arm outstretched. The man threw his arms up in surrender, his eyes wide.

'Agravaine,' she snarled. 'I trust you have good news for me this time.'

'Indeed my Lady,' he bowed, his eyes glittering. 'I have devised a cunning plan.'

Morgana's eyes narrowed. 'Don't flatter yourself. What is it you came here to tell me?'

Agravaine smiled. 'We've been approaching our problem with Emrys all wrong. Instead of sneaking around behind our... _beloved _King's back, we should use him to our advantage.'

It only took her a moment to understand, her eyes going wide. 'That is rather devious, Agravaine. I may just have my uses for you yet.'

'I will arrange everything.' He bowed again, and turned to leave.

'Agravaine,' she called, her face emotionless. 'When it's done, let me know. I want to see for myself.'

Agravaine stared at her, before nodding slightly, and hurrying away.

Morgana watched him go, her mouth curling into a sneer.

Soon, it would all be over.

Soon, Emrys would be gone.

**I'll update as soon as I can, although my teachers don't know the meaning of the word holiday. Sorry Holly and Arthursmol; you can BETA the next chapter! Promise! **

**Please Review!  
>And have an amazing Christmas<strong>

**TTFN  
>Valkyriexx<strong>


	2. Chapter 1

_**Sorry for the lack of updates! However, there is one word to explain it all: exams. Anyway, here's the first chapter of Emrys! No slash, as always, but as much bromance as I can get away with! Plus, if you want some Merlin/OC, check out the poll on my profile! Enjoy! **_

'Rise and Shine!'

Arthur groaned and pulled the covers over his head as Merlin threw open the curtains. Merlin paid him no attention as he began to gather up the clothes strewn all over the floor, dropping the breakfast tray noisily on the table.

'Merlin…'

Merlin ignored him, grabbing the covers and wrenching them off the bed, wrapping them into a ball in his arms.

'Merlin!'

'You should have got up, then,' came the cheeky replied. He ducked as a pillow went flying over his head, and Arthur finally sat up, rubbing his face with his hands.

'You know, I don't appreciate these unorthodox wake-up calls.'

'That's a big word, Arthur,' Merlin smirked. 'And if you responded to orthodox wake up calls, I wouldn't have to be _un_orthodox, would I?'

'Shut up, _Mer_lin.'

He grinned as hr dropped the laundry into a basket and grabbed a shirt, tossing it to the King.

'Agravaine's called a Council Meeting. Said it was urgent.'

Arthur suppressed a groan. 'Another one? What could possibly have happened now?'

Merlin shrugged and turned away, trying to ignore the feeling of unease in the pit of his stomach. The last time Agravaine had tried something like this, Gaius had almost died and Morgana had almost found out his secret.

'Oi!' Merlin jumped as Arthur's jacket hit him. 'Are you just going to stand there looking gormless, or help me get ready?'

'You mean you still haven't learnt to dress yourself? The future of the Kingdom rests on a man that can't dress himself?'

'I _can _dress myself!'

'Then why do I need to help you get ready?'

'Because you're my servant, that's why!'

Merlin's only response was to role his eyes as he made his way over to the King. He was just helping Arthur with his jacket when someone knocked at the door.

'Come in!'

The door opened to reveal Gwen. She smiled as Arthur tried to wave Merlin away. The servant put on a fake confused expression. 'But, sire, I thought you needed help…'

He stopped when Arthur turned to look at him, his expression deadly. Merlin nodded, sharing a knowing glance with Gwen.

'Right; OK. I see… you want Gwen to help instead?'

He immediately ducked, and dived for the door as the King swiped at his head, grabbing the goblet that was on the table next to him.

As the door shut behind him, Merlin saw Gwen make her way over to Arthur's side, and wrap her arms around his neck. He smiled sadly to himself as he made his way down to the laundry room.

XxX

Merlin stood at the back of the hall behind Arthur's chair as the Council Members filed into the hall. As Agravaine took his seat at Arthur's right hand, Merlin grit his teeth together and shot the man a glare. The traitor, of course, took no notice.

'Thank you for coming, Sire.'

'You said it was urgent.'

Agravaine nodded. 'Indeed it is,' he paused for a moment, making sure all attention was on in him before he began to speak. 'Recently, I have heard rumours of Morgana's activities; it appeared that she was searching for something. I wanted to gather more information before presenting it to the Court; and I believe I know what she is after.'

Arthur sat forward, slightly. 'How bad is it?'

'Very bad, sire,' Agravaine sighed dramatically. 'Morgana is searching for a powerful sorcerer; a warlock by the name of Emrys. It is imperative that we find him first.'

Merlin visibly paled. Luckily, no one noticed. _Emrys…_

'And what do you suggest we do once we find him? Try and persuade him to join us instead?' Leon frowned, his gaze flicking between the King and his Uncle.

Agravaine scoffed. 'Of course not. How do you know he isn't already in league with Morgana? No, there is only one solution.'

'And what would that be?'

'Emrys must die.'

_**And there we end the first chapter! It's not as long as I would have liked, but hopefully it will get longer as the plot develops. There's going to be roughly 13 chapter's to this story, give or take. I'm not going to promise any specifics for updates, seeing as I'm awful at keeping those promises. I will say, the more reviews the sooner the updates (no bribery intended. Much.) **_

_**Thank you again to my darling beta's, Arthursmol and Hollyblue2! Any mistakes from here in are their fault. **_

_**TTFN**_

_**Valkyriexx**_


	3. Chapter 2

_**Once again, no excuses for how late this chapter is. Another relatively short chapter, but they are getting longer. **_

_**Thank you to everyone whose reviews! I know Leon seemed OOC in the last chapter, but I needed someone to be the voice of reason on Merlin's behalf, and Lancelot's dead, and I didn't think of Gaius. **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin **_

Chapter 2

Merlin sat with Gaius in their chambers, slowly tracing the knots in the wooden table. Gaius sat opposite him, watching him with worried eyes.

'They can't trace him back to you, Merlin,' Gaius said. Merlin barely acknowledged his voice. 'They think Emrys is an old man.'

'We should have seen this coming,' Merlin muttered.

'There was no way to know what they were planning.'

Merlin let his hand drop and glanced up at his mentor. 'What do you think Arthur will do to me?'

Gaius stood up and made his way around the bench, wrapping his arm around his ward as he slid onto the bench next to him. 'You know Arthur would never intentionally hurt you.'

Merlin nodded, noticing the way Gaius said _intentionally_. 'I just wish that I could tell him the truth.'

'You will! One day. It just… isn't time yet.'

Merlin felt his heart sink at Gaius' words. _One day_… 'They're never going to know are they? They'll never see me for who I truly am…'

'Don't say that,' Gaius whispered, rubbing Merlin's shoulder. 'Soon enough, this will all be over and everyone will know what you've done.' Merlin sighed and resumed his action, tracing his finger along the gouges in the surface. It was clear in his face that he didn't believe what Gaius had said. The old man sat there for a few more minutes before standing up. 'Get some rest, Merlin. We're all going to be busy over the next few days.'

Merlin nodded and stood up, making his way up the stairs. He changed quietly before snuffing out the lone candle and lying down. He barely slept that night.

XxX

Merlin arrived on time the next morning, not that it mattered. The King was already up, dressed and seated at his desk by the time he walked through the door.

'So you _can _dress yourself!'

'You're powers of observation always astound me, Merlin,' Arthur snapped before turning back to the documents on his desk.

'Good morning to you too,' the servant muttered as he set the tray down on the main table. 'What are you doing up so early, anyway? Normally I'd have to drag you out of bed at this hour.'

'Merlin,' Arthur threw down his quill and made his way round the desk. 'There is a mad sorcerer on the loose, who, according to Agravaine, has the power to tear down my entire Kingdom with a flick of his wrist. Unlike you, I don't have I don't have time to be lazing around; I have a Kingdom to protect!'

'Why hasn't he then?'

Arthur frowned, and stood for a moment, slightly shocked. 'What?'

'Why hasn't he?' Merlin repeated, as if he was talking to a small child. 'If this sorcerer is as powerful as you say, then why hasn't he already destroyed the Kingdom if that's what he's so determined to do? Especially if he's a potential ally of Morgana's; Camelot should already be gone.'

Arthur stared at him. 'Are you trying to be clever again?'

'Me? No, of course not.'

'Really?' Arthur's eyebrows shot up. 'Because that sounded like you were.'

'You know me, just rambling,'

Arthur stared at him for a moment longer, before sitting down in front of his breakfast. 'Is this is?'

'Is what it, sire?' Merlin asked, innocently.

'You know perfectly well what I'm talking about, _Mer_lin.' He gestured to the plate in front of him, which consisted of a bowl of porridge, an apple and a mug of tea.

'Well, the cook heard you were on a diet, so she…'

'Who the _hell _told the cook that? I am _not _on a diet! There's nothing wrong with my weight.'

'Well, that's not what _she…_' Merlin ducked as a goblet when flying over his head. 'I'll go find you a proper breakfast, sire,' Merlin grinned and disappeared out the room, leaving behind a fuming king.

Once the door closed behind him, he let out a shaky breath and made his way down the corridor towards the kitchens.

He'd slipped up in Arthur's chambers, and had been lucky that Arthur accepted the _Merlin is an idiot _excuse with no questions. If he didn't gain control of his emotions, it wouldn't take long for someone to connect him with Emrys. Merlin wiped a hand across his brow, before donning his mask, and entered the kitchens.

'The King wasn't too impressed with his diet,' he grinned.

The kitchen maid laughed, and beckoned him over, pulling a tray out from underneath the counter and handing it to him. 'I didn't think he would be.'

Merlin smiled as he took the tray from her. 'Thanks,' he smiled. 'You're a big help.'

She smiled at him as he turned to leave. 'Anytime.'

XxX

Merlin watched from the shadows as Arthur stood with his Knight's, quietly relaying their new orders.

'I don't want anyone to try and apprehend him alone; just gather any information you can about him, and bring it back here. Be as subtle as you can; we don't want Emrys catching on that we're hunting for him.'

The Warlock winced at the word _hunting _but couldn't help but feel smug at the King's words. _Too late… _

'Stay safe, men, and report your findings directly to me or Lord Agravaine.'

Arthur turned, and made his way back towards the castle. Merlin immediately stepped out of the shadows and followed him. Once they were inside, Arthur stopped and turned to his servant.

'I want you to talk to the servants; see if you can find anything.'

'Of… of course, sire,' Merlin stuttered.

Arthur frowned at him. 'Is something wrong?'

'No! No, of course not,' Merlin grinned, falsely. 'I'll get right on it.'

Arthur stared at him for a moment, before nodding. 'OK. And Merlin…'

The servant turned back to face his master.

'Be careful.'

'You too.'

_**Thanks for reading!  
>Next chapter: The Hunt Begins. <strong>_

_**Please review and tell me what you think!  
>Thank you to my wonderful BETA's Arthursmol and Hollyblue2<strong>_

_**TTFN  
>Valykyriexx<strong>_


	4. Chapter 3

**Hooray, I'm back! Sorry for the extra long wait, my teachers have no idea what the word **_**break **_**means. :/ Anyways, I am going to attempt an update schedule! Every Saturday night or Sunday morning. :O Feel free to nag me if I don't stick to it… thank you to merlinismylife for your message earlier; this not so quick update afterwards is for you! **

**Anyway, as a quick reminder (because it's been so long I've almost forgotten) Agravaine has managed to trick Arthur into hunting Emrys down, but Arthur's beginning to doubt his Uncle's word. The plot thickens ever so slightly. Hope it's worth the wait. Enjoy! **

It had been three days. Three days of endless patrols, research and interrogations. Agravaine had insisted on questioning anyone and everyone who he believed had the smallest link to Emrys. Arthur had gone along with Uncle's plans; his frustration increasing with each failed lead. And with each failed lead, Merlin's workload increased.

Merlin collapsed against a wall, pressing his face into his knees. It had only been three days, and he'd already been stretched to the point of breaking, both physically and mentally. He wasn't sure how much longer he could last under the strain both the King and his Uncle were putting him under.

He took a deep breath, and leant his head back against the wall, closing his eyes.

'Merlin?'

Merlin sighed, but didn't open his eyes. He felt Gwaine sit down beside him. There was silence for a moment, before Gwaine spoke again.

'Arthur running you into the ground again?'

'He's worried about Camelot,' Merlin shrugged. 'Everyone is.'

Another pause, before!

'Ow!' Merlin eyes snapped open, glaring at Gwaine. He brought his hand up to rub his shoulder. 'What was that for?'

'Lying to me,' Gwaine smirked. 'I know you better than that, Merlin. What's really bugging you?'

The young Warlock bit his lip, before choosing his next words very carefully. 'I don't think it's fair that we're hunting this person, when we don't know anything about him.'

'Agravaine seems pretty certain.'

Merlin snorted. 'Yeah, because he's _so _reliable!'

Gwaine frowned, staring at his friend for a moment. 'You don't trust Agravaine?'

'And you do?'

Merlin watched Gwaine consider this. He could see the frown on his friends face deepen, and he rested his head against the wall. The Knight licked his lips slowly, before turning his gaze back to the servant. 'You're pretty certain about this.'

He nodded, hesitantly, already feeling like he had said too much.

'I must admit, ever since the incident with Gaius, I've been wondering where his true loyalties lie. Why haven't you said anything to Arthur?'

'Because he's Arthur's Uncle, and he dotes on his every word. I just think we should have double checked all the facts before giving the order to kill someone that, for all we know, is caught up in a war that has nothing to do with him.'

'But Arthur didn't give the order to kill him.'

Merlin's head jerked up. 'What?'

Gwaine smiled. 'Arthur wants Emrys brought in alive and relatively unharmed. He thinks we may have a chance of getting something useful out of him, _if_ he is as close to Morgana as Agravaine says.'

'If? Arthur's doubting Agravaine's word?'

Gwaine shrugged. 'Not sure. But there is something iffy about the story he fed everyone in the council chambers the other day. I'm sure _Princess _just doesn't want to risk the Kingdom's safety on the chance Agravaine's managed to pick up dodgy information.'

Merlin let out a sigh of relief, before catching himself, and grinning at Gwaine. 'Well, at least we know Arthur's decided not to be a prat about it.'

Gwaine frowned, watching his friend for a moment. Merlin shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

'Well, I really need to get back to work.' He stood up and stretched, but, before he could move off, Gwaine grabbed his wrist.

Merlin jumped slightly, and turned back to face his friend. Gwaine stood, slowly, keeping a firm grip on Merlin's wrist.

'You know if there's something bothering you, you can tell me.'

'I know, Gwaine,' Merlin smiled, 'But there's nothing bothering me. Honestly.'

Gwaine hesitated for another moment, before releasing his grip on Merlin's arm. Merlin smiled again, before hurrying away. He risked a quick look back, and saw that Gwaine hadn't moved, watching him go. Merlin gulped slightly, and made his way down to the stables.

XxX

'Have you found anything?'

Merlin looked up from the armour he was polishing as Arthur entered his chambers. 'Not yet, sire, but Gaius and I are still looking.'

Arthur nodded, and threw his gloves on his table, heading over to stare out the window. Merlin watched him silently, before turning his attention back to the armour.

'What if we're too late?'

'Sorry?' Merlin looked up again. Arthur turned back to face him.

'What if we're too late? What if Morgana's already got to him? All this would be for nothing.'

'Then she'd probably be knocking on our door to boast,' Merlin shrugged. 'Patience has never been her strong point.'

'She waited a year to attack my father.'

_That's what you think. _Instead, Merlin chose a more tactical approach. 'Surely that's because she was comfortable in the castle. She wasn't in a hurry to do anything.'

Arthur nodded slightly. 'She wanted to watch us suffer.' He glanced out of the window, before turning and striding over to his desk. Merlin watched him, chewing his lip. He picked up the armour, and stood to leave the room.

'What if… what if she didn't wait a year? What if she was trying to overthrow my father the entire time?'

Merlin resisted the urge to role his eyes. It had only taken Arthur two and a half years to realise.

'Really, sire? What makes you say that?'

The King looked up at his servant, frowning.

'You say that like it isn't a surprise, _Mer_lin.' Merlin stared back, keeping his mouth shut. Arthur sighed. 'A lot of things make sense, now I think about them. I just didn't want to remember. It's hard to think about my childhood friend as a murderous witch. But there are a lot of instances, like what happened with Gwen, that I now think could have been Morgana.'

Merlin stayed silent for a moment, before carefully piling the armour up on the table. 'Why are you thinking about this now?'

The young King shrugged, before looking back down at the paper work in front of him. 'I just… I just want to understand what we did that turned her against us. My fa…our father, maybe, but you and me and Gwen… It just doesn't make sense.'

Merlin blinked slightly, and glanced at the floor. He swallowed, before looking back at his King.

'Arthur, what happened to Morgana was not your fault. You gave her everything she could possibly ask for; you and your father. I'm sure if you'd found out about her magic earlier, you could have helped her. Morgause just got there first.'

Arthur looked up at his servant, and gave him a sad smile. 'You know, Merlin, sometimes you almost seem wise.'

'I have my moments,' Merlin grinned. 'Is there anything else I can do for you sire?'

'Just take my armour back down stairs, then go see if Gaius needs any help.'

Merlin nodded, and gave a short bow, before gathering up the armour and heading towards the door.

'Thank you, Merlin.'

Merlin hesitated for a moment, before smiling, and closing the door behind.

XxX

Agravaine was waiting for him when he left the armoury. He was leaning against the wall, when the young servant shut the door behind himself.

'My Lord,' Merlin acknowledged with no trace of his trademark grin.  
>Agravaine smiled at him, a smile which set Merlin on edge.<p>

'Merlin,' he drawled. 'I was just curious as to whether you'd found anything regarding our friend the Warlock.'

'As I have already told Arthur, I'll let _him _know the moment I find anything,' Merlin replied coolly.

Agravaine's smile slipped slightly as his eyes narrowed. 'Yes, but we both know how distracted Arthur is at the moment. I was hoping you'd report to me, instead. Take some weight of our young King's shoulders.'

Merlin let out an exasperated sigh, watching Agravaine's expression as he made eye contact with the lord.

'I'm sure Arthur would have told me if he felt I should report to you instead of him, _my lord_,' he emphasised the last bit, watching as Agravaine's face fell. 'And I wouldn't like to disobey my king.'

'Of course,' Agravaine smiled again, this time falsely. It was the same smile he wore when he spoke to Arthur, The sigh of it made Merlin's blood boil. 'Well, then, good day, Merlin.'

Merlin nodded, and turned away, striding quickly down the corridors towards Gaius' chambers.

**I know Merlin's a bit OOC in this chapter (sorry bout that) but I reckon he would open up to Gwaine slightly, especially as this is set not long after episode 7, when Gwaine was the only one who listened to Merlin about Gaius. **

**Next chapter will be an insight into Arthur's views on the subject, and Agravaine's plot grows ever more devious!  
>Thank you to my wonderful beta's, the beautiful and quirky, Arthursmol and Hollyblue2. <strong>

**Please review! I'd love to know what you think of this story! **

**See you Saturday! **

**TTFN**

Valkyriexx


	5. Chapter 4

**I managed it; updated within a week! Yay! Enjoy!**

Agravaine watched the young servant walk away, a deep frown on his face.

The boy had been acting cold towards him ever since the incident with Gaius a few weeks back, though he hadn't said anything to Arthur. Not yet at least.

Agravaine turned to head back to his chambers when another thought occurred to him. Merlin hadn't reacted to the use of the Warlock. Anyone else wouldn't have known what that meant… So had the boy?

Shaking his head, Agravaine grabbed his cloak, and began fastening the clasp around his throat.

Another thing; Merlin hadn't reacted been phased by the term Warlock. Yes, Agravaine had used the term in Court, but still… He wouldn't have expected Merlin to understand that. .

Agravaine's conclusion; Merlin knew more about the situation than he was letting on.

Instantly, he threw off his clock, and set off back down the corridor, towards the Physicians tower. The boy was definitely worth investigating, especially in-light of Gaius' revelation that he knew Emrys. Could it be...?

No. It wasn't possible. But the servant definitely had some kind of connection to Emrys. And Agravaine was determined to find out what it was, one way or another.

XxX

Arthur sat in his chambers, rubbing his hand tiredly across his eyes. Emrys was proving a pain to find. But he couldn't give up; he couldn't afford to. Not when the Kingdom depended on his success.

He sighed and stood up, making his way over to the window and leaning against the frame. The conversation with Merlin was echoing around his mind. How could they not have noticed?

Again Arthur sighed, pressing his head against the frame. He heard the door open behind him, but didn't turn around. There were only two people he knew that didn't knock before entering his chambers. He felt a soft pair of hands touch his arm, and he turned, smiling gently at Guinevere.

'Hey.'

'Hey,' she smiled softly, and led him away from the window. 'Are you OK?'

He shrugged as they walked over to the table, sitting down. She sat down next to him, resting her hand gently against his arm. It was one of his favourite times of the day, when he was able to spend an hour with Guinevere.

'Just hunting an invisible man, whilst trying to fend off my evil half sister.'

She rubbed his arm gently, and he relaxed under her touch. 'You'll find him. I have every faith in you and Gaius, and the knight's.'

Arthur nodded, but continued to stare at the table. She frowned. 'What else…'

'What if we're wrong about this? I could be sending my men after an innocent man. It could just be that he's caught in the middle of a war he wants nothing to with. I don't know. Maybe Merlin's rubbing off on me.'

Gwen laughed, and rested her head against his arm. Arthur sighed as he leant against her, closing his eyes slightly. This was definitely one of his favourite times of the day.

XxX

Agravaine approached the door quietly, taking care not to make a sound. He could see the light filtering from cracks in the door, and he reached for the handle. He stopped himself, however, when he heard Gaius' voice.

'…Keep lying to him much longer. Have you heard anything back from Iseldir?'

'He said something about spreading a rumour that Emrys is hiding in another Kingdom, but I don't want to put another druid clan in danger. Whilst Agravaine and Morgana are here, we can keep track of their movements.'

There was a soft chink, which Agravaine guessed meant that they were eating, before Merlin spoke again. 'Agravaine asked me to go behind Arthur's back, and report to him.'

'So he is looking to kill Emrys. That is a problem.'

'You think? We aren't going to be able to keep this hidden for much longer.'

That was what Agravaine had wanted to hear. He straightened up, and hurried away; a plan already forming in his mind.

Gaius and Merlin were protecting Emrys. One of Merlin's friends had wanted to spread a rumour that Emrys was further away, which meant that the Warlock was in Camelot. There was no doubt about it. And if what Morgana had said was true, then Emrys wouldn't hesitate if he felt if his people were in danger. A wicked smile crossed Agravaine's face, terrifying the servant walking towards him.

He knew what he had to do.

**So, a relatively short chapter this evening, but it's just a build up to the next chapter, which I am very excited about! The next chapter should be up next Saturday, HOWEVER, if I get lots and lots of reviews, I will do, not one update, but two, in one night! **

**This isn't bribery! If it was, it would have a cherry on top. **

**Please review and let me know what you thought!**

**TTFN**

**Valykriexx**


	6. Chapter 5

**I absolutely love you guys! I woke up Sunday morning and I had over 1,700 hits, and 11 new reviews and 9 more since! Thank you everyone! And thank you to everyone who has added my story to their favourites and alerts!**

**So, this is where things really begin to get intense! Enjoy! **

Merlin was mucking out the stables when it happened. The headache was sharp and sudden, like a knife to his skull. He dropped the rake, bringing both his hands up to clutch his head as his ears rang with a high-pitched scream.

'_Help us!' _

He gasped as the pain disappeared as suddenly as it came. He could hear the girls quiet sobbing. The stables had disappeared; he could only focus on her voice.

'_Where are you?'_

'_Emrys? Emrys, help us! He took my Mum; I don't know where she is!' _

'_It's OK; listen to me. I'm coming. Tell me where you are!' _

'_In a clearing, just outside Camelot. Please, help us!' _

The stables came sharply back into focus, and Merlin took a deep breath. He shook his head, and stacked the cleaning equipment in the corner with a wave of his hand. He didn't stop to think; he didn't have time. Merlin simply saddled his horse with magic, and head for the city gates.

XxX

It didn't take him long to find the child; she was huddled at the base of a tree on the edge of the clearing. The space was small but open. There was no sign of her parents.

Merlin approached her carefully, crouching down next to her. She jumped and tried to scramble away.

'It's OK; it's OK. It's me.'

She stared at him for a moment, before flinging her arms around his neck. 'Emrys!'

'Shh,' he whispered, patting her back gently.

She let go of him, wiping her eyes. Her brown cloak identified her as a druid, as did the black mark on her wrist. Her long, dark hair flowed down to her back and she couldn't have been more than seven years old. The very innocence of it all made Merlin feel sick. How could someone hurt this innocent child's family?

'Can you tell me what happened?'

'He… he took her. I don't know why,' she sobbed.

'Where did he take her?'

She pointed across the clearing. In the centre, Merlin could see a woman, bound and gagged. He cursed silently. It was too dangerous for him to use magic to free her from this distance; she would still be left vulnerable to an attack. He'd have to go to her.

'Stay here,' he whispered. 'If anything happens, get your mother, and get out of here. I'll protect you as best I can.'

She nodded, silent tears still streaming down her face. He took a deep breath, before stepping from the cover of the trees. He peered cautiously through the misty clearing, and took another step towards the bound woman.

Something wasn't right; he could feel it. But he couldn't leave her. Another step, and he was half way across the clearing.

And then it happened.

'I must say, I never expected this!'

Merlin whipped round, holding his hand out in front of him. Agravaine strode out of the tree line, stopping before he was within Merlin's reach. The Warlock narrowed his eyes.

'These are innocent people.'

'There's nothing innocent about what you're planning to do, Emrys,' Agravaine smirked.

Merlin took a step back, making sure he was moving away from the girl and her mother.

'You won't get away with it. Just because you've found me doesn't mean you're going to succeed!'

'I already have.'

Merlin glared at the Lord, already making his decision.  
>Agravaine would hurt the girl and her mother. He had to lead him away from them. And there was only one way to do that.<p>

'_Astrice_!'

Agravaine dived out of the way, as Merlin turned on his heel and ran. He burst through the trees, putting as much distance between the clearing and himself as he possibly could. He could hear Agravaine crashing through the undergrowth behind him, but he kept running, ignoring the calls of his druid name.

His heart was pounding but he kept running. He used his magic to slam tree roots out of his way, but he couldn't afford to stop. They were still too close to the clearing; if Agravaine caught Merlin, he could still go back for the druids.

Merlin skid to a halt, his feet sliding out from underneath him as he scrambled back from the cliff face.

'No-where to run, Emrys.'

Merlin gulped and turned to face Agravaine. 'Why are you doing this? You know what will happen if you kill me!'

Agravaine laughed. 'That's the whole point! With you gone, nothing will stand in my Lady's way.'

'This isn't the end, Agravaine. You cannot stop destiny; believe me. I've tried.'

The greasy lord looked surprised, but shrugged it off, smirking. 'How does it feel, Emrys? To know that you're best friend is hunting you like a common criminal?'

Merlin gulped and took a step back as Agravaine drew his sword.

'You would kill your own nephew?'

'Why not? I killed my brother-in-law,' he shrugged. 'The only thing that matters to me is Morgana taking her rightful place on the throne of Camelot. And now, Emrys, you will no longer stand in her way.'

'Morgana will never be Queen!'

'And who's going to stop her?' Agravaine laughed. 'You? By the time Arthur realises anything is wrong, it will be too late.'

'Arthur will be the greatest King to ever live!'

He sighed and rolled his eyes. 'Not if Morgana has her way. You're words mean nothing to me! Without you around to protect him, it will not be long before King Arthur's reign comes to an end.' The Lord pointed his sword at Merlin's chest. 'Prepare to die, Emrys.'

Merlin's eyes flashed gold, and Agravaine was thrown back. He tried to run, drawing a dagger from his belt, the one he'd carried since Morgana kidnapped him, but Agravaine grabbed his ankle, wrestling him to the ground.

There was no time for magic. He had to fight back.  
>Agravaine pinned his wrist, slamming it to the ground causing Merlin to cry out and release the dagger. He kicked out at Agravaine, forcing him off of himself, and grabbed the dagger, staggering to his feet.<p>

'Merlin!'

Merlin turned towards the voice, and felt a sharp pain in his side. He screamed as he fell to the side, hitting the ground.  
>A roar of anger, the sound of metal hitting metal, a scream… and then silence.<p>

A warm hand touched his face, as the world swam in and out of focus. Somebody was crouching beside him, whispering his name.

Merlin tried to raise his head, but his vision was blurring, and he collapsed against the ground. The last thing he saw was a pair of bright, blue eyes, before the darkness claimed him, and he fell into unconsciousness.

**Ooh, cliffie! No worries, the next chapter will be up in a jiffy!  
>Thank you to my darling BETA's, Arthursmol and Hollyblue2!<br>See you soon**

**TTFN**

**Valkyriexx**


	7. Chapter 6

**So, here it is! It's extremely short, barely 400 words, BUT there is a very good reason for this!  
><strong> 

'Lord Agravaine was killed whilst trying to apprehend the Warlock, Emrys, who also died in the struggle. It is a tragedy that such a selfless, noble life has been lost, but his sacrifice has ensured a brighter, and safer, future for Camelot. Lord Agravaine will not die in vain, for we are now one step closer to winning this war against magic, thanks to his sacrifice. He will be commemorated as a hero of Camelot.'

There was silence for a moment, before the soft _shink_ of metal on metal filled the air. Arthur watched as his knight's, led by Sir Leon, raised their swords to the sky, as Sir Elyan lowered the flame to the pyre. Agravaine's body had already been laid to rest in the tombs beneath Camelot, next to the body of his brother, Tristain. As was tradition, the Knight's had gathered to pay their last respects to the lord, as his sword and cloak were burnt in the middle of the courtyard. It reminded the young King of the time, not too long ago, when he'd had to lay both his father, and his most loyal knight to rest.

Arthur didn't stay to watch the fire. He felt a heavy stone in the pit of his stomach as he turned away. Once he was clear of the crowd, Gwen appeared by his side, gently taking his hand in hers.

'Are you alright?'

He shrugged, knowing that she would understand, as his gaze travelled up, staring at Gaius' tower. Gwen followed his gaze.

'We were lucky, Arthur. The damage could have been so much worse.'

Arthur bit his lip, not taking his eyes off of the tower. 'Agravaine was in league with Morgana. He used us to locate Emrys for her. He betrayed us.'

Gwen stared at him. 'What? But… the funeral…'

She caught sight of the look in his eyes and frowned at him, as he looked her in the eye for the first time since he'd brought back Agravaine's body.

'What's going on, Arthur?'

'I just lied to the whole of Camelot,' he smiled, watching her eyes go wide. 'I just lied to my Knight's, and my people, and Morgana has no idea.'

'Why?'

'Because Morgana's plan was always to have Emrys killed. And now that he's dead, she thinks Camelot is no longer protected.'

'Emrys was _protecting _us?'

Arthur nodded, still smiling. 'Yes, he was. And, I can promise you, Guinevere, he will continue to do so for some time.'

'How can he possibly protect us when he's dead?' she exclaimed in a hushed tone.

Arthur beamed at her. 'That's the trick isn't it? And Morgana will never see it coming.'

**Mwhahaha *cough*… ANOTHER cliffie! I do like these! Although I'm pretty sure some of you can guess what's going to happen next…  
>Drop a review, and let me know what you think! I'd love to know your theories about what's going to happen next. <strong>

**Next chapter shall be up next Saturday at the latest, but I will do my best to get it up earlier, once my Trig test is out the way. **

**TTFN  
>Valkyriexx<strong>


	8. Chapter 7

_**I must say, I was lucky to get this chapter up today! My laptop crashed three times today, losing the chapter twice! But here it is, on time and my longest chapter yet! Over 2,000 words!  
>As requested by quite a few readers, Arthur's POV on chapter 5, which leads up to chapter 6. Arthur a bit OOC but with the amount dumped on him in this chapter, I think it's allowed. Enjoy!<strong>_

Arthur had just finished the interrogation of the latest _witness _to be brought in. Like most of the others, it had been a waste time. The druid, like all the other, had been unwilling to talk, reciting the same phrase in response to all of Arthur's questions. "Emrys will bring the age of peace, prosperity and magic." As much as that sounded appealing, the young King knew he couldn't risk the safety of his people on the word of a few hermits. But Emrys was proving very difficult to find.

He exited the dungeons to find Geoffrey waiting for him.

'Ah, Geoffrey. You found something then.'

'Indeed, my lord. But I believe you are not going to like it.'

Arthur frowned. 'Walk with me.' He began to climb the stairs, with the record keeper close on his heels. 'Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it. The more we know about this person, the better chance we have of finding him.'

Geoffrey nodded. 'Although there are many passages about Emrys' destiny, and what he is set to achieve, there is another, older text that links him another man. A King.'

'A King?'

'The Once and Future King, to be precise.'

Arthur sighed. 'So, not only am I facing a potential threat from the most powerful sorcerer ever, but his King friend as well?'

'Maybe…'

The King frowned again. 'What do you mean by that?'

'My Lord!'

Arthur turned and glared at the young serving boy approaching him.

'What?'

'It's Lord Agravaine, sire. He… he says he found… him.'

Arthur felt his breath catch. 'Where?'

'In the woods, sire. He said he'd meet you by the front steps.'

Arthur took a deep breath before nodding. 'Thank you. I'll be there shortly.' He turned away from the boy, back towards the old librarian. 'This information will have to wait, Geoffrey. See what else you can find before I return.'

Geoffrey nodded, and bowed. Arthur watched him leave before glancing back down at the dungeons. He shook his head and made his way up the stairs to meet his Uncle.

XxX

Agravaine was stood to the side, watching the people of Camelot go about their daily lives with an almost unreadable expression on his face. It was this expression that made Arthur hesitate.

'Arthur!'

He forced a smile as he made his way over to him. 'Uncle. I understand you've come into some more information regarding…'

'Yes, I have.' Arthur frowned at being interrupted; he didn't appreciate Agravaine cutting him off. He let the Lord continue, though. 'I have reason to believe that he will be in a clearing just outside of Camelot this afternoon.'

'How do you know this?'

Agravaine smiled. 'I have my informants.'

Arthur stared at his Uncle for a moment. 'I will need to speak to these informants once Emrys has been arrested.'

There.  
>A flash of panic in his Uncle's eyes before he smiled that false smile. 'Of course. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to testify.'<p>

The young king narrowed his eyes at his Uncle, but, before he could say anything, Agravaine was off, striding towards his horse. Arthur shook his head, and followed. They mounted up, and rode out of Camelot.

XxX

Agravaine led him to a small clearing in the Darkling woods; they had left the horses by a stream and made the rest of the journey on foot. From their position, they couldn't see the entire clearing; Arthur attempted to move to find a new position, but Agravaine held him back, shaking his head.

So they stayed put.

Arthur hated waiting; he always had. That feeling of sitting there, not knowing what was going to happen made him feel powerless, and, as a King, being powerless was never a good thing. And now they were lying in wait for a sorcerer who may or may not show up, and who would almost certainly kill them on sight if he did.

'Are you sure he'll be here?'

'He'll be here,' Agravaine smiled.

'How can you be sure?'

The look Agravaine gave him was unsettling. He saw emotions on his face that didn't look right. He almost looked pleased with the thought that Emrys would soon be within their grasp; just not for the same reason as Arthur.  
>There was more to this story than he originally thought.<p>

'Agravaine…'

A rustle in the bushes opposite caught his attention, silencing him instantly. Arthur immediately crouched lower as a twig snapped and a shadow appeared behind the trees.

Arthur held his breath.

This was it.

Emrys had come.  
>Emrys would soon be within their grasp.<p>

Emrys was…

The figure stepped from the shade into the clearing, light falling across his face for the first time.

'No…'

Merlin stayed close to the edge of the clearing, as he looked around himself warily. He took a step forward, still glancing around, before focusing his gaze on something out of Arthur's eye-line.

Agravaine let out a triumphant laugh, but Arthur couldn't move. He could feel tears welling up behind his eyes, but his arms were too heavy; he couldn't bring himself to raise them and wipe the droplets away.

This couldn't be happening.

It couldn't… Merlin was just being his usual idiotic self. He wasn't Emrys; he'd stumbled across the trap by accident, whilst out getting herbs for Gaius.

Yes, that must be it…

Arthur barely noticed Agravaine move as Merlin took another step forward, already half way across the clearing, still focused on something Arthur couldn't see.

'I must say, I never expected this!'

The young King's head shot up, as Merlin spun round, his arm outstretched. In that moment, Arthur knew that Merlin was, indeed, the sorcerer they were after. He could feel the power radiating off of his friend as he faced the threat.

'These are innocent people!' _What? _  
>'There's nothing innocent about what you're planning to do, Emrys.' Merlin didn't deny it, and Arthur felt his heart plummet.<p>

Merlin couldn't be planning against him. It had to be a misunderstanding… it had to be…

Arthur blinked desperately, trying to stop the tears that were now sliding down his face as he was confronted with the reality of Merlin's betrayal.

'_Astrice_!'

Arthur ducked instinctively as a fireball erupted from Merlin's hand. When he looked back up, Merlin had disappeared and Agravaine was vanishing into the trees on the other side of the clearing. He immediately jumped to his feet, sprinting into the clearing, but stopped suddenly when he saw what Merlin had been looking at.

A woman, bound and gagged, in the centre of the clearing. From his position behind the tree, he hadn't been able to see her. But Agravaine had.

This was the missing piece. This was what Merlin had come. He had only seen Agravaine; a threat. And he had done what he could to lead the threat away.

The young King immediately made his way over to the woman, drawing his knife and cutting through her binds. She stared at him, wide eyed, as he pulled the gag from her mouth.

'Get to Camelot; find Sir Leon. Tell him King Arthur sent you. He'll protect you.'

She nodded, tears streaming down her face. He clambered to his feet, and ran into the forest, picking up on Merlin and Agravaine's trail.

Arthur had to find them before Agravaine hurt Merlin.

He could hear voices in the distance, and breathed a sigh of relief as he picked up his pace. Merlin was still alive; he still had a chance to set this right.

'You would kill you own nephew?' Arthur skid to a halt, his feet sliding out from underneath him. _What?_

'Why not? I killed my own brother-in-law.' Arthur felt sick. Agravaine… 'The only thing that matter to me is Morgana taking her rightful place on the throne of Camelot. And now, Emrys, you will no longer stand in her way.' So Agravaine had been using him all along; he simply been a pawn in Morgana's sick game. Again.

'Morgana will never be Queen!' Arthurs' head shot up at the confidence in Merlin's voice.

'And who's going to stop her?' Agravaine laughed. 'You? By the time Arthur realises anything is wrong, it will be too late.' _That's what you think._

'Arthur will be the greatest King to ever live!' Again, that confidence; that determination and sheer resolve as Merlin stood at the edge of the cliff, refusing to back down from Arthur's treacherous Uncle.

'Not if Morgana has her way. You're words mean nothing to me! Without you around to protect him, it will not be long before King Arthur's reign comes to an end.' Arthur placed his hand on the hilt of his sword as the Lord pointed his own at Merlin's chest. 'Prepare to die, Emrys.'

And suddenly, Merlin's eyes flashed gold. Agravaine flew backwards, hitting the ground with a loud thud. Arthur rose to his feet, preparing to grab Merlin once he entered the safety of the tree line, but he didn't make it. Agravaine twisted round, grabbing Merlin's leg and pulling him to the ground. Arthur sprang to his feet, fighting past the bushes as Merlin cried out. He saw Merlin kick out at Agravaine, scrambling for something on the floor.

Arthur finally broke through the bushes as Merlin staggered to his feet, Agravaine already up and advancing once again.

'Merlin!'

Merlin spun round, and let out a horrific, terrifying scream.

'No!' he roared as he watched Merlin fall, Agravaine holding the bloody dagger he'd just drawn from Merlin's side.

He drew his sword, and thrust it forward, finding his target. Agravaine screamed as his eyes went wide, staring at Arthur in horror. Arthur watched is Uncle fall before throwing his sword to the side and dropping to his knee's beside his friend.

Merlin's eyes were open but unfocused as Arthur lifted him, gently, into his arms.

'Merlin?'

Merlin's eyes drooped closed as he slipped into unconsciousness. Arthur cursed, and ripped off a strip of material, bandaging Merlin's wound as best he could.

He stood up, carefully holding Merlin as best he could. With one final glance at his Uncle's still body, Arthur made his way back through the forest, towards the horses.

XxX

Leon and Gwen were waiting for them when they rode back into Camelot. Gwen paled when she caught sight of Merlin's limp body, as Arthur and Leon slowly lowered him down off of the horse.

They remained silent the entire trip to the Physicians chambers, and laid Merlin down on the patients bed. No one spoke as Gaius tended to Merlin, stitching the wound and applying the appropriate salves. It wasn't until they'd put Merlin to bed, that Arthur turned to his second in command.

'There's a small cliff, on the edge of a clearing in the Darkling woods. I need you to take a patrol out there and… and recover Lord Agravaine's body.'

Leon stared at him, before nodding and departing without a word. Gaius poured everyone drinks, before looking, expectantly at Arthur. 'What happened?'

Arthur swallowed heavily, praying that the lie he'd come up with would be convincing enough to protect Merlin.

'We… Agravaine had a lead on Emrys. We went out to investigate; just the three of use. Merlin was with Agravaine and I was with the horses when Emrys attacked. He killed Agravaine straight out, but Merlin managed to kill him. He was wounded though, when he pushed Emrys over the edge of the cliff.'  
>Gaius frowned, and Arthur bit his lip, before the old man nodded. 'At least Emrys no longer poses a threat.'<p>

Arthur shook his head, before looking down at his tunic. 'If you'll excuse me, I need to…'

'Of course, sire. I shall inform you when he wakes.'

Arthur nodded again, and departed.  
>Once outside, he sighed leaning against the wall.<p>

He wasn't too sure why he'd lied to Gaius and Gwen to cover for Merlin, but it had felt like the right thing to do. Morgana had wanted Merlin, as Emrys, dead, which meant he was dangerous. To her; not Arthur.  
>And, despite everything, Arthur smiled.<p>

Morgana sure was in for a surprise next time she showed her face around Camelot.

_**And, there we go. Hope that explained everything! This chapter is only partially betaed, thanks to illnesses, amongst humans and computers, so if you spot any mistakes please let me know. **_

_**Happy Mothers Day for tomorrow to my lovely mum, Arthursmol! Have a fab day all the mum's out there **_

_**Next chapter: the talk between Merlin and Arthur, and Arthur's plan begins to come together! Please review and let me know what you thought, and if there's anything you'd like Merlin and Arthur to discuss in particular!**_

_**Until then TTFN**_

_**Valkyriexx**_


	9. Chapter 8

_**So, this is the talk between Merlin and Arthur. This chapter is full of dialogue, and if you think that Merlin or Arthur are OOC, then please let me know! Thank you to Niyin for the prompt on Merlin talking to Arthur about being "hunted"! It really helped when I hit writer's block! **_

_**Enjoy! **_

When Merlin finally came round, he was aware of a dull throbbing in his left side. His eyes felt heavy, and it took a great deal of effort to finally blink them eye open. Why was he so tired? For a moment, he lay, staring at the ceiling, until a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

'Gwaine?' His voice was hoarse, and croaky from disuse, and it ached when he spoke.

The Knight grinned and made his way over to his friends' bedside, holding a cup of water. 'Good afternoon, sleepy head. How's the hero of the hour?' He helped Merlin take a sip of water before the Warlock settled back down in his pillows.

'What are you talking about?'

Gwaine's smile slipped slightly. 'Arthur told us what you did. About Emrys…'

Merlin felt his heart lurch. 'He… he did?'

Gwaine nodded. 'Yeah… And to be honest, Merlin, no matter how much Agravaine meant to Arthur, you shouldn't have risked your life against a powerful sorcerer like that. Even if you did manage to kill him.'

'Yeah, I… wait… I did what?'

'You stabbed Emrys and pushed him over a cliff, but got a knife in the side for your trouble. You were lucky too; Agravaine's dead.'

Merlin frowned at the Knight, trying, desperately to remember what had happened. He didn't remember Agravaine's death, and he certainly didn't remember Arthur being there at all.

Gwaine sat down next to him, watching him closely. 'You know, Merlin…'

The young Warlock jolted slightly, turning to look at Gwaine. 'Yeah?'

'For a while there,' he shifted uncomfortably. 'I thought you might be Emrys.'

'_Me_?' Merlin felt the panic rise up in his chest, but squashed it quickly. _Thought_… Past tense.

Gwaine laughed. 'Yeah. You were so adamant that he might be on our side, I thought… but it doesn't matter. Camelot's safe again. Thanks to you.'

Merlin smiled. 'Yeah. What do you think Arthur will give me, as a reward?'

Gwaine grinned, evilly. 'You could ask _him _to do all your chores for a day!'

Both of them burst out laughing, Merlin pressing a hand to his side to ease the discomfort. 'That'll be the day!'

They sat together chortling for a few more moments, before the door the Gaius' chambers opened, and Gaius walked in. He smiled at the sight of the two men, before moving over to his workbench.

'It's good to see you're awake, Merlin. I need to look at that wound.'

Merlin rolled his eyes as he shifted, so that Gaius could lift his shirt. The wound itself had been neatly stitched together, but was red around the edges.

'Was it infected?'

'Just a small one,' the Physician murmured, as he gently prodded the swollen area. 'I kept you sedated, anyway. It's why you've only just woken up.'

'Only just? How long have I been asleep?'

'Three days,' Gaius placed the mixture he'd been smearing on the wound on the side, and began to re-wrap the bandages. 'I shall let Gwaine fill you in.' Gwaine grinned at him, and immediately launched into a story about a training session Merlin had missed. Gaius smiled, and left quietly, making his way to the throne room, to inform the King.

XxX

Gaius returned several hours later to find Merlin asleep and alone. Gwaine had been called away not long before by the King, who had decided he would speak to his servant in the morning.

Gaius was confused.

Arthur had returned with an unconscious, bleeding Merlin and the summary of the fight three days earlier, and Gaius couldn't figure out what had happened. According to Arthur, the Warlock Emrys was dead, killed by Merlin in a struggle after Agravaine had fallen. But that wasn't possible; Merlin _was _Emrys! So what had actually happened?

A loan grow from the other side of the room caught the Physicians attention, and he hurried to the side of his ward as Merlin opened his eyes.

'Gaius?'

'Right here, Merlin. Are you alright?'

'Just a bit sore,' the young Warlock groaned as he pulled himself into a sitting position. 'I'll be alright.'

'I expect nothing less,' Gaius smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Merlin frowned.

'Is something wrong?'

The Physician sighed. 'It's the story Arthur told the Court. As glad as I am that they're no longer hunting you…'

'You want to know what actually happened out there,' Merlin nodded. 'I'm a bit sketchy on the details myself.'

Gaius sat down next to him, and waited. Merlin took a deep breath.

'Agravaine set a trap, and I walked straight into it. I had to lead him away, and he cornered me on a cliff face. We shouted a bit, then we fought…. I don't remember what happened after Agravaine stabbed me.'

'So Agravaine stabbed you…' Gaius muttered, looking both angry and thoughtful.

'What are you thinking?'

'If Agravaine stabbed you, then… who killed Agravaine?'

They sat in silence for a moment, both of them thinking hard. Merlin was replaying the event in his head, trying to remember if, at any point, he'd seen someone other than…

His head shot up, his eyes wide. 'Just before I was stabbed! Someone yelled my name, and I turned, and that's when Agravaine stabbed me!'

'What happened after that?'

Merlin frowned for a moment, before shaking his head. 'No, it's black after that. Do you… do you think it could have been Arthur?'

'It's a possibility.'

'Do you think he _knows_?' Gaius reached out and placed a comforting hand on his ward's shoulder.

'We can't know for sure until you speak with Arthur. But even if he does; he lied to protect you. There is more to this than we realise. We must wait.'

The young warlock nodded, and Gaius clapped him on the shoulder.

'Now, since you're finally awake, you really need to eat something…'

XxX

Merlin had managed to clamber out of his bed and was sat at his and Gaius' table, anxiously anticipating the arrival of the King. Gaius sat opposite, unconsciously rubbing his thumb over the back of Merlin's hand. Merlin made no move to stop him; it was a comforting gesture.

He couldn't quite process what was happening. Agravaine was dead, Emrys was no longer hunted, and there was every possibility that Arthur _knew _his secret!  
>He reached for his cup of water, only notice that his hands were shaking.<p>

_How does it feel, Emrys? To know that your best friend is hunting you like a common criminal? _Merlin shuddered at the memory, and withdrew his hand. Gaius offered him a sympathetic smile, before standing up.

'I think it would be better if you and Arthur had this conversation alone.'

Merlin stared at him, looking horrified. 'Do you want to give Arthur more opportunities to kill me, if it turns out that he _d_o_es _know something?'

'Don't be so dramatic,' the old man scolded, causing a small smile to appear on his wards. 'Arthur brought you back to be healed. You have to remember that. He's at least giving you a chance.'

Merlin took a deep breath, and jumped as someone knocked loudly on the door.

'Come in.'

Arthur strode into the room, nodding to Gaius as he entered. The Physician bowed and departed, leaving the two young men alone. Merlin bent his head, worried about what he would see in his friend's eyes.

'How are you feeling?' Merlin jumped slightly, and looked up at the King.

'Better,' he smiled warily. 'Thank you, for bringing me back.'

Arthur nodded, but didn't move. There was an awkward pause; Merlin stared at the table, tracing the scratches in the wood.

'I'm sorry about Agravaine.'

Arthur nodded, slightly. 'Do you remember what happened?'

He shook his head. 'Not really. I remember a fight, but not much of it.'

Arthur tilted his head to the side. 'So you don't remember Agravaine attacking you?'

Merlin gulped slightly. 'Attacking me?'

'Yes, Merlin,' Arthur stated, his face impassive. 'Just after he declared his allegiance to Morgana, and his desire to kill you, Emrys.'

Merlin's heart dropped. _Arthur knows_. He pressed his heads into his hands, and took a deep breath. 'You were with Agravaine in the clearing.'

The young King nodded again, and made his way over to the table. Merlin leant back a little as he sat down, watching his friend carefully.

'Do you think I'm going to hurt you?'

'I'm not sure yet.'

Arthur nodded at his answer. 'That's fair enough. You have no reason to trust me… just like I have no reason to trust you.'

'So where does that leave us?' Merlin shifted forward as Arthur gave him a humourless smile.

'That depends.'

'On what?'

'On what happens here, and now.'

Merlin narrowed his eyes, but he couldn't detect any trace of anger in the King's expression. There didn't even appear to be betrayal; just a look of deep curiosity.

'What do you want to know?'

The young King smirked and sat back in his chair, looking fairly relaxed. 'It's interesting; Geoffrey did some research, and found it fairly easy to find some old poems and prophecies regarding Emrys. I'm amazed I didn't make the connection then; you would have found something if you'd _actually _looked.' Merlin had the sense to look sheepish here, as Arthur continued. 'But it wasn't the stuff on you that was interesting. It was the reference to a Once and Future King. Tell me about him.'

Merlin felt stunned for a moment, before he understood. _He wants to know if I've been trying to usurp him in favour of another king! _'Well, he's a complete prat sometimes. He's also a supercilious, patronising, dollop head! But he's compassionate, and a good King, although he can be a complete sap sometimes.'

'Me?' Merlin grinned as Arthur stared at him. '_I'm _supposed to be this… Once and Future King?'

'Yeah.'

'Right…' Arthur frowned, before clearing his throat. 'That's not what I was expecting you to say.'

'What were you expecting?'

Arthur shook his head, before fixing Merlin with a piercing gaze. 'It doesn't matter.'

Merlin conceded, knowing that it would do him no good to push Arthur at this particular moment.

'Arthur…' The King looked up, encouraging Merlin to continue. 'Why did you save me?'

Arthur looked surprised, but recovered quickly. 'Because you stood up for me, and Camelot, whilst my treacherous Uncle outlined his plans to bring me down. And, despite what I said earlier, Merlin, I do trust you. I need you to tell me what happened out there. Why did Agravaine trick me into hunting you?'

Merlin flinched at the word, and Arthur frowned once again.

'Are you OK?'

'Yeah,' he forced a smile. 'Just, something Agravaine said to me whilst we were out there.'

Arthur sat forward slightly, resting his crossed arms on the table. 'What was it?'

'He asked how it felt, to know that my best friend was hunting me like some common criminal.'

'What did you say?'

'I didn't.'

'What would you have said?'

Merlin took a deep breath, and leant towards the king, also resting his arms on the table. 'It wasn't so much that you were hunting me; you didn't know it was me. It was more the fear of how you would react when you found out; of what it would do to our friendship. I've spent the last five/six years wanting to tell you everything, but I never had the courage to actually tell you. It got to the point where I believed I never would, and to be confronted with this… that's what scared me.'

'I'm sorry you had to go through that alone.'

'I wasn't really alone,' Merlin shrugged. 'I had Gaius and Lancelot for a time. And my mother's always been very supportive. It took me most of my life, but I finally understand that the magic I was born with isn't a curse… it's a gift. One I'm supposed to share with other people in order to make their lives that little bit better.'

Arthur smiled.

And Merlin knew that everything was going to be alright.

XxX

'We still have a lot to talk about, you know.'

'I know,' Merlin smiled, leaning back and propping his feet up on the table. 'Why _did _you bring me back?'

Arthur jerked his head slightly, taking a sip out of his water glass. 'Agravaine confessed to killing my father and wanting to kill me, and you told him I'd be the greatest King that ever lived. It was obvious who the traitor was. And I've had three days to think things through. Believe me; George had a lot of tidying up to do after the first day.'

They both laughed at that, although cautiously on Merlin's part.

'Now what?'

Arthur gave him a look. 'Now that Morgana thinks that Emrys is dead, I'm almost certain she's going to attack the citadel. When that is going to be is unclear, so we need to be prepared. We cannot let anyone know that Emrys still lives, so we'll have to find some alternative way of getting ready. Do you have any magical allies that we can go to for assistance?'

Merlin beamed at him. 'I can think of a few people.'

_**Right, so I know nothing about medicine except what I've picked up in AS Biology… which isn't very much. Just in-case I wrote something wrong. **_

_**Between this chapter and the last is three day, I think that Arthur would have had a massive temper tantrum, which he couldn't take out on Merlin because Merlin was injured. Then he would have calmed down, wallowed in a bit of self-pity, realised how much Merlin's done for him and means to him, and decided Merlin's his best friend and together they're going to be unstoppable. But that's just my opinion. **_

_**Next chapter will be Arthur/Merlin bromance banter, and more reveals. I wanted this to focus on the attack in the forest; the next bit will have Dragonlords and Druids and what not. But no slash. I don't do slash; Freylin and Arwen all the way :) **_

_**Thank you to my amazing beta's once again, Arthursmol and Hollyblue2**_

_**Please review and let me know what you thought! **_

_**TTFN  
>Valkyriexx <strong>_


	10. Chapter 9

**Haha, bet you weren't expecting this! 100 Reviews people! You guys are the best! I am still buzzing!  
>Admittedly, this was supposed to be up yesterday, as a thank you to all you fantastic people out there, but there was an incident with a balloon, a bucket and a goal post that turned into a full blown girls vs boys water fight. But that's what you get for living in a boarding house. <strong>

**Anyway, bromance and banter galore! Guilty!Arthur inspired by 4x10, and a big thank you to saroura92 for the suggestion about the scene with Kilgharrah! And to JenniCDS for the stuff on stab wounds! It was really helpful. **

**On with the chapter!**

'You what?'

'Would you keep your voice down? Or do you want Morgana to hear us?'

'An army? You have an _army_?'

Merlin sighed at the incredulous look on Arthur's face. 'No, I have the leaders of two large druid clan's allegiance, one of whom was originally on Morgana's side. Whether or not they, or their clans, will fight with us is another matter. That's the whole point behind this trip!'

'An _army_, Merlin!'

Merlin threw his arms up in the air. 'So what if I have fifty or so druids behind me? You have a thousand or so of Camelot knight's and guards behind _you_! You don't see me freaking out!'

'It's not the same thing,' Arthur muttered.

'How isn't it?'

'It just isn't!'  
>Merlin sighed again. Arthur was beginning to sound like a petulant child.<p>

'Well, they might not come anyway.'

The young King grunted and they continued to make their way through the forest silently for a moment. Merlin glanced at his friend before, adding casually, 'Of course, I think the dragons will still give Morgana a good scare.'

Arthur almost fell off his horse and he twisted round in his seat.

'_Dragons? _As in, _more _than one?'

'You expected there to be a dragon?'

'Well, sure. I didn't think you'd _really _leave that poor dragon egg to be crushed!'

Merlin raised an eyebrow. '_Poor_? You're going soft Arthur!'

'Are you going to answer my question, or not?'

'Yes, Arthur,' Merlin rolled his eyes. 'There are two dragons. One is Aithusa, the dragon from the temple, and Kilgharrah's slightly older and bigger. And I can control them because, when my father died, he passed his Dragonlord power's down to me. I am the last of my kind.'

'Balinor.'

Merlin nodded. Arthur paled, and dropped his head, staring intently at his horses' mane. Merlin instantly felt a twinge of guilt and they rode on in silence for some time. He pressed his hand to his side, attempting to suppress the pain. It had been over a week since the fight, and Merlin was doing significantly better, but his wound still ached him from time to time. Gaius had said it was normal, but Merlin was annoyed that he couldn't just heal the thing with magic. Too many people had seen him injured.

'So,' he was shaken out of his thoughts by Arthur's obnoxious voice. 'Are you going to tell me where we're going?'

'Kilgharrah will definitely fight,' Merlin explained. 'He's never liked Morgana, and thinks she's a hindrance on destiny. Aithusa's still very young, so it'll be up to Kilgharrah as to whether he's ready to fight or not; although I'm not going to be happy if he does.'

'So the dragons are sorted. What about the druids?'

'Well, I'm not too sure where Alator is. The Cathe are rather secretive, so it may take some looking before I can contact him, but I think I know roughly where he is. We're out here to meet Iseldir, the leader of a clan of druids just on the edge of Camelot's borders. We've already met several times; I'm almost certain he'll want to help.'

'_Almost _certain?'

Merlin gave him an exaggerated sigh. 'They're druids, Arthur; they may not fight at all. That's what _peaceful _means.'

He ducked as Arthur threw his water skin at him, before summoning it back without having to get off his horse. Arthur rolled his eyes, but grinned when Merlin beamed at him.

It was so good not to have to hide anymore.

XxX

'That's it?'

'That's it.'

'No wonder you think I shouldn't be concerned.'

Merlin glared at the King, before swinging down off of his horse. 'They can't exactly live in villages, can they?'

That shut Arthur up, and he dismounted with a little more grace than Merlin. The young Warlock rolled his eyes and began to make his way down the slope, towards the cave at the bottom.

'Stop!' Arthur's hand shot out, gripping Merlin's under arm. Merlin stilled immediately, crouching down in the brush, his eyes narrowed.

'What is it?'

'We're being watched.'

Merlin held his breath, his eyes darting around. A twig cracked behind them, and, drawing swords, they swung around to meet the intruder.

'Iseldir!'

Merlin threw his sword to the side, as the old druid came forward to meet them. 'Emrys; this is a great honour. We heard that you had been killed.'

'Just a graze,' Merlin smiled, shaking his friend's hand. 'I apologise if the news upset you. It was the only way to stop Morgana from looking for me.'

'It is good to see you are alright.'

Iseldir turned to Arthur, and gestured for the King to follow them into the cave. Arthur hesitated; Merlin stopped and turned back to him. 'Are you OK?'

'I shouldn't go in there.'

Merlin shook his head, smiling encouragingly. 'Nah, you don't want to take away their opportunity to meet a real clot pole do you?' Arthur looked at Merlin sceptically. The warlock nodded, and moved back up the path.

'I killed so many of their kind, Merlin. _Your _kind. How can I walk in there and ask for their help after what I've done?'

'Arthur,' the young King looked up, surprised at the tone in Merlin's voice. It was a tone he rarely heard, and was always accompanied by some of Merlin's rare words of wisdom. 'I know that this is hard. But these people have been waiting for us, for _you_, for over 25 years. It was the hope for us, and the future we will bring that kept them going all these years. I don't think we should keep them waiting much longer. Seeing Emrys and The Once and Future King working together is the motivation they will need to finally fight back.'

'I'm not…'

'Arthur, if you don't get in there, right now, I'm going to knock you out and drag you in.'

Arthur's eyebrow shot up, causing Merlin to laugh. He made his way slowly down the slope to where Merlin stood, and the young Warlock could see the tension in his friends' steps. Iseldir was waiting for them about the bottom and proceeded to lead them into the cave.

It was light inside, and quite open. Brown clad figures were scattered around a large fire, but they all looked up as Iseldir entered with the strangers. The older druids jumped to their feet, bowing low as Merlin walked up beside him, smiling at them. The children looked surprised by their elder's behaviour, but slowly followed them. The curiosity in their eyes as they watched Arthur and Merlin made Merlin smile.

'My friends, Lord Emrys lives!'

The druids all broke into large smiles as Arthur turned to stare at Merlin. '_Lord_?'

'That's a new one to me!'

Iseldir laughed and beckoned them to the fire. None of the druids moved away as Arthur sat cautiously among them. During the course of the discussion he visibly relaxed, and Merlin felt an overwhelming feeling of pride for his King. He made his case well, and the druids listened respectively. The conditions that he offered the druids made Merlin's heart swell with joy. Arthur hadn't told him what he'd been planning to offer them, in exchange for their help.

'Even if you don't fight, I am only asking for your support in preventing Morgana from taking over Camelot once again, although if you refuse, I fully understand. I cannot erase the sins that myself and my father have committed against you, but I am willing to do everything in my power to make Camelot safe for you and your kind. I owe you that much.'

Iseldir turned to Merlin, looking him in the eyes. _I cannot speak for my men, but I will be more than willing to fight by your side, Emrys. _

_I understand. Thank you. _

'I will fight.' Merlin turned to look at the young man who had stood.

'And I.'

'As will I.'

One by one, they rose to their feet, even some of the women. Merlin couldn't help but grin as he glanced at Arthur, who looked both relieved and delighted.

'And fight we shall.'

XxX

They rode in silence. Merlin kept glancing at the King, but Arthur made no move to initiate conversation and Merlin didn't want to disturb him. So they continued on until they reached a clearing, where Merlin reined in his horse. Arthur stopped beside him.

'Is something wrong?'

'Of course not,' he smiled, once again swinging down off his horse. 'But there's someone else I need to talk to before we head back to Camelot.'

Arthur frowned at him, before dismounting and tying up both his and Merlin's horses. 'This is your job, you know.'

'Keeps you on your toes,' Merlin grinned, heading into the centre of the clearing. Before Arthur could follow him, he threw his head back, and roared.  
>Arthur jumped, and stumbled backwards, tripping over a tree root. He scrambled to his feet, but not before Merlin saw him, and laughed.<p>

'You'll get used to it.'

'I hope not! What the hell did you do?'

'Summoned the dragons.'

'Summoned… of course you did,' Arthur sighed, dropping down on the grass and rubbing his temple.

Merlin sat down beside him, leaning back against the tree with his eyes closed. He felt so relaxed, so free.  
>It wasn't long until he heard the beating of wings, and two dark shapes appeared in the sky.<p>

'There they are.'

Arthur stood up, watching them approach, his awe turning to shock as he recognised the larger of the two dragons.

'What? That's… that's…'

'Kilgharrah, the Great Dragon.'

'What is going on, Merlin? That monster killed my people and destroyed half my city!'

'I can _hear _you, young Pendragon!' The ground shook as Kilgharrah landed, and there was humour in his voice as he regarded the two men in front of him.

'And it talks too. Great.'

Kilgharrah chuckled. 'It is good to see you too, young Pendragon. It is an honour to finally meet you.'

Arthur stared at him. 'You killed my people!'

'I was blinded by grief and hatred for your father. I regret the pain I caused Camelot and I am willing to fight by your side when the witch once again attacks as redemption.'

Arthur seemed lost for words, so Merlin seized the opportunity to change the topic.

'We need to locate Alator of the Cathe. Can you find him for us?'

'Of course, young Warlock. It will not take me long.'  
>Merlin smiled. 'Well, then you can find Gilli as well. I'm sure he'd come if we give him enough time. He's good at using magic in battle to his advantage.'<p>

The dragon bowed, before turning his head to the small, white dragon hidden behind his leg.

'The young one did not want to be left behind.'

Merlin grinned, and squatted down. Aithusa scampered over to him, crooning softly. Merlin scratched his head, before looking expectantly at Arthur.

'He won't bite.'

The young King moved slowly, so he didn't scare the young dragon. He knelt down, and reached out hesitantly. Aithusa rubbed his head against Arthur's hand, causing him to grin. 'He won't be fighting, will he?'

'He's not big enough or strong enough yet. I won't let him fight.'

'A wise decision. But he should be in Camelot during the battle. He cannot be left behind just yet.'

Both Dragon and Dragonlord turned to look at Arthur. Arthur stared back for a moment, before nodding. 'But he'll have to stay concealed, at least until Kilgharrah enters the battle. We don't want Morgana finding out that we have dragons.'

'Agreed.' Merlin stood with a grunt, pressing his hand to his side. Aithusa crooned sadly, staring at the wound that was covered in bandages. 'I'm alright. Just aches a bit.'

'Why don't you heal yourself?'

'Too risky. I'll be fine.'  
>Kilgharrah seemed to disagree but didn't argue. <em>For once<em>, Merlin thought with a smirk.

'Time to get to work then,' Arthur smiled. He made to return to the horses, but seemed to think twice about it. He turned back to face the Dragon. 'I'm sorry for… you know… stabbing you. And calling you a monster.'

Kilgharrah chuckled. 'It is forgotten, young Pendragon. Just don't do it again.' Arthur grinned, and Kilgharrah unfolded his wings. Aithusa scampered away, taking off after the Great Dragon.

King and Warlock watched him go. Arthur clapped Merlin on the shoulder, and the two shared a grin, and, mounting their horses, they made their way back to Camelot.

**Admittedly, I'm not too keen on this ending, but it needed to finish somewhere. **

**It had been pointed out that Merlin would have fought back with magic during his fight with Agravaine. My excuse is, I needed him to be injured, and it was unlikely he would have been if he'd used magic. Sorry about that. But, in my defence, he does seem to forget to use it against imminent danger… occasionally… he didn't when Morgana captured him. So, that's my excuse.**

**Poll time! What would you guys like to see in the next chapter? Scenes from within Camelot as Merlin and Arthur prepare for battle, which might include Alator and Gilli (I seem to have an obsession with him…)? Or shall we go straight into the battle, where things really start to heat up? Leave a review and let me know!  
>Thank you again for all the fantastic reviews! But I could always use a few more! ;)<br>See you Saturday  
>TTFN<br>Valkyriexx**


	11. Chapter 10

**Landslide victory to the battle preparation! I must admit, this chapter was harder to write than I thought it was going to be, and it doesn't help that the plot bunnies deserted me when I needed them! But here it is, on time! Enjoy! **

Merlin sat on his bed with his spell book propped open in front of him. He quickly skimmed past the spells he was proficient in, looking for new ones to try in his training session with Arthur later that afternoon.

Kilgharrah had located both Gilli and Alator for him, and he had sent them both letters, although neither of them had replied. Arthur had been disappointed at first, but with no word yet of any movement from Morgana, they had decided to wait. They had the druids on their side; with Camelot's forces, it would hopefully enough to combat Morgana.

'_Why hasn't she attacked yet?' _

'_She wants us to let our guard down. She's under the impression that Camelot believes it's won a great battle. Morgana wants everyone to think that the war is over, and then she will strike when we least expect it.' _

'_Which is why we're preparing now.' _

Merlin had smiled then, as they sat down to begin planning.

They'd known it was going to be difficult. Since Agravaine's death, there wasn't any possible way of telling who, if anyone, was feeding her information from inside the castle. It was unlikely that she'd just abandon Camelot and hope for the best when she attacked.

No. Morgana already had a spy planted within Camelot once again.

Which meant that had to be careful.

If the spy reported any change in Camelot's protection detail, it could alert Morgana to what had really happened in the woods. The chances were slim, but it was a risk they couldn't take.

So Arthur had been steadily increasing the amount of training time, and the intensity, claiming he'd let the Knight's slack off during the hunt for Emrys. Gwaine had, of course, immediately protested against this, but a clip round the back of the head and a raised eyebrow soon saw him off. Merlin felt bad, not telling his friend what was really going on, but it was too dangerous. And Gwaine wasn't known for his secret keeping skills.

They had also been finding time to head out into the Darkling Woods, to train together without any chance of being caught. Arthur had been shocked when he'd realised just how powerful Merlin was, but he'd snapped out of it fairly quickly. It shouldn't have been a surprise, Merlin thought. After all, the name Emrys was enough to make Morgana quiver with fear.

A knock on his door shook Merlin out of his reverie. He quickly stuffed the book under his pillow, before bidding the person to enter.

'Gilli!'

The younger man smiled, as Merlin stood up to shake his hand.

'I came as soon as I got your letter.'

'Thank you. I know I had no right in asking you to come.'

Gilli shook his head. 'I owe you for what you did during the tournament. Your letter was very vague; has something happened?'

'Indeed,' Merlin smiled. 'I am on the verge of fulfilling my promise to you, but I'm going to need your help. Walk with me.'

They left Gaius' chambers, nodding to the Physician as they did so. Gaius gave Merlin a knowing smile, as they made their way to the King's quarters.  
>Gilli froze just outside the door.<p>

'What are you doing?'

'It's alright. I know what I'm doing,' Merlin smiled, opening the door. Gilli hesitated for a moment, before following Merlin into room.

Arthur looked up from his desk, raising an eyebrow. 'Ever heard of knocking?'

'That takes effort.'

The young King just rolled his eyes, and put down his quill, eyes gaze turning to Gilli, who was stood awkwardly behind Merlin.

'So, I take it this is Gilli? He responded to your letter after all.'

Gilli started, and looked at Merlin, alarmed. Merlin just smiled at him.

'Well, I couldn't exactly bring magic back without the King's permission, could I?'

'I don't understand.'

Arthur walked over to his table, indicating for Merlin and Gilli to sit down, before sitting opposite Gilli.

'Morgana is planning an attack on Camelot. I won't be able to defeat her without the use of magic. For now, we have to let Morgana believe that we are completely unprepared, which is why we have been recruiting behind hers, and the cities, backs. Nobody knows what we're doing besides our Court Physician, and the druids that have already agreed to fight for us. It's up to you Gilli. Will you fight by our side?'

Gilli stared at him. 'But, don't you know who I am? What I tried to do?'

Arthur nodded. 'Merlin explained everything to me. I am angry that you tried to kill my father, but I think I'm beginning to understand why you, and many others like you, have tried. Fear, depression, despair… it does strange things to people. I'm just glad Merlin managed to save you before it was too late.'

Gilli nodded. 'I am very grateful to him, my Lord. And I would be honoured to fight by your side.'

Arthur beamed at him, and nodded. 'Thank you. I promise you, your assistance will not go unrewarded.'

'Freedom will be award enough, my lord. I thank you for this opportunity.'

Merlin and Arthur shared a look, both looking relieved. The King stood, nodding to them both. 'I must attend to my Knight's. Will you be joining us for training later, Gilli?'

'It would be an honour my lord.'

Again, Arthur nodded, before sweeping from the room. Gilli slumped in his chair.

'You could have warned me.'

'I could have. But then you might have bolted, or done something stupid. And it was more fun to spring it on you.'

Gilli reached over and punched Merlin in the shoulder. The two grinned, and departed the chambers, heading for the Physicians chambers once again.

XxX

'_Forbearnan_!'

Merlin flicked his wrist, drawing a shield up around himself and Arthur whilst Arthur swung his sword, moving it in a complicated series that would have defended himself and Merlin from oncoming blades. The spell complete, Merlin thrust his arm forwards, hitting Gilli with a blast of air, ensuring that the younger man had a soft landing. He heard an _oomph _as Gilli hit the ground, and immediately relaxed his stance, hurrying over to his friend.

'You OK?'

Gilli let out a small laugh. 'If I'd realised you were that powerful, I never would have crossed you at the tournament.'

Merlin smiled. 'I prefer people not to know who I really am.'

He held out his hand, and Gill accepted it, clambering to his feet. 'I must say, I never expected you to be_ the _Emrys. But I'm glad you are.'

Arthur looked between the two as he rolled his shoulder, stretching out his muscle. 'If you two are done being sentimental…'

Merlin snorted, and Gilli looked between them. 'We need to head back.'

They gathered up the various swords and shields littering the ground and piled them onto the pack horse, before mounting up and turning for Camelot.

The ride back was fairly quiet, all of them exhausted but satisfied with the afternoon's training. Merlin and Gilli had taken it in turns firing spells at each other and blocking them, whilst Arthur adjusted his fighting style to match their magic. He'd also been surprised to learn that he could distinguish between the two different types of magic. That would be useful in a battle.

The sun was beginning to set by the time they arrived back in Camelot, and Arthur immediately excused himself to dine with Gwen. Merlin had just smiled as the King swept away before leading Gilli up the stairs to the Physicians chambers.  
>He stopped them both just outside the door, holding up his hand for silence. Somebody was inside.<p>

'… ever apologise enough for what I did to you, Gaius. But I must thank you for opening my eyes to the truth.'

'I'm afraid I cannot forgive you that easily, but your loyalty to Merlin means a lot to me. And for that, I thank you also.'

Merlin opened the door cautiously, not wanting to startle the two men inside.

Alator was stood by the door, whilst Gaius was on the other side of the room, a book open in front of him beside a mortar and pestle that now lay abandoned. Gaius looked tense and anxious, but he visibly relaxed when Merlin entered the room. Alator turned and immediately dropped into a low bow. Merlin stared at him, looking slightly awkward.

'Umm… you don't have to bow, you know.'

Alator straightened, with his head still inclined as a sign of respect. 'Emrys, when I received your letter, I hastened to your side. My clan is hidden deep within the Forest, awaiting your orders. We are proud to fight by your side.'

There was a low mutter of _whoa _from behind him, but Merlin barely noticed Gilli speak. His attention was on Gaius, who was still looking stiff on the other side of the room.

'I'll speak to Arthur about finding you both chambers within the castle.'

'That is not necessary, my Lord. I shall return to my people in the Forest.' Alator bowed again

'Umm… Alright. If that's what you're comfortable with…' he stammered, sharing a look with his mentor. Gaius just raised an eyebrow, looking rather amused. 'If it's OK, we'll meet with Arthur tomorrow. He's otherwise engaged tonight.'

Another bow.

'Of course, Emrys. I shall return in the morning. If you require us, do not hesitate to contact us.'

Merlin just nodded his head, watching Alator sweep from the room. Gaius moved out from behind his workbench as Merlin finally moved across the room towards him.

'Are you OK?'

'Yes. I was just a bit startled when he arrived.'

'I told you he was coming.'

'I know. But even forewarning me about his arrival couldn't stop the memories.'

Merlin stepped forward and engulfed Gaius in a warm hug. The old man relaxed finally, before Merlin drew away. 'I'll made dinner tonight.'

Gaius nodded, looking over his wards shoulder at Gilli, who was still stood in the doorway.

'Will you be joining us tonight? Or are you going to fall at Emrys' feet before running off to the woods?'

Gilli stared at Gaius, whilst Merlin laughed at the look on his face. 'Come on.' The younger man stepped into the room, where Gaius bustled over to him, ushering him towards the table.

'Consider yourself lucky. Merlin can make a good soup when he puts his mind to it.'

'Hey, I always put my mind to my work.'

Merlin caught Gaius' gaze, and they stared at each other for a moment, before they both burst out laughing. The mood was very contagious, and very soon, Gilli found himself laughing too, delighted to have been welcomed into this warm atmosphere.

XxX

In the end, Arthur didn't have the chance to meet Alator in the morning. Merlin had told him the previous night of the Druids' arrival in the forest, and they had agreed to head out there as soon as Council had finished.

But once they arrived at the Council meeting the next morning, everything went out the window.

They were half way through when a guard burst into the council chambers, looking flustered.

'Sire! King Arthur! I… I must…'

Arthur immediately rose to his feet as another Knight pushed the young man into a chair.

'Take a moment and calm yourself.'

The guard nodded, gasping for breath. Arthur nodded, crouching down in front of him.

'Now, tell me what has happened.'

'An army… there is an army… it's heading towards Camelot. It will be here tonight!'

The Knight's around the table gasped, but Arthur paid them no attention, standing up and turning to face Merlin.

'Get a message to Alator and Iseldir. We need them inside the castle, and ready for battle. Call Kilgharrah and Aithusa; get them here too. We don't have much time.'

Merlin bowed, and made to leave, but Gwaine didn't agree with that plan.

'Hang on! Alator? Iseldir? What the hell is going on? Why is Morgana attacking?'

Arthur took a deep breath before turning to face the Council. 'Lord Agravaine was in league with the Lady Morgana. They used us to eliminate a potential threat to Morgana herself; it was her plan all along. When I learnt what she had done, I tried to put in place measures in order to be ready for when she finally came. That time has come. We are prepared; we are ready. It is time.

'Gather the Knights. Make ready to defend the citadel.'

**This chapter has now been betaed by Arthursmol, who has advised me to point out that "everytihg went out the window" means "everything went horribly wrong". Sorry, didn't think about that.  
><strong>

**Only four more chapters left of this story! I'm going to be sad to see it finish…. I already have another story in the works, but I'm afraid it will not be published until my exams finish in May. However, I am now on the Easter Holidays, so, hopefully, I'll be able to finish this story in the next two weeks! **

**Please review and let me know what you think! Next chapter: the battle begins!  
>TTFN<br>Valkyriexx**


	12. Chapter 11

_**So, this is the chapter most of us have been looking forward too! I hope it lives up to expectations. It has been really difficult to work out which approach to take, cause there were so many, but I hope mine is a bit different to the one you were expecting! Enjoy! **_

The rest of the day passed in a blur; the whole castle was alive with activity. Guinevere had gone straight to Gaius and helped him set up an infirmary, and Merlin had left the castle within half an hour to gather the Druids. He used one of their cloaks to smuggle Aithusa back into the castle, although everyone was so busy, nobody gave him a second glance. He hid the Dragon hatchling in his room, ordering him to remain quiet. Gaius would bring him to the infirmary to aid in the healing of the wounded once the battle started.

As evening approached, Merlin made his way to the King's chambers, where Arthur was already dressed in his chainmail, staring out the window at the approaching torches.

'Arthur?'

'Have we made the right choice, Merlin?'

Merlin picked up the King's armour, causing Arthur to turn. He sighed and allowed Merlin to help him, but didn't speak until Merlin was fastening the plate onto his shoulder.

'I've been King under a year, and already I've led my Kingdom to war twice. Not including Cenred's attack whilst I was Prince Regent. How can you have so much faith in me, when I've done this?'

Merlin shrugged. 'Each of those occasions was caused, directly or indirectly, by Morgana. And three times before, your leadership has led your people to victory. Without any bloodshed against Queen Annis, might I add. There is nothing to doubt, Arthur. You _will _be the greatest King to ever live. Of that, I am sure.'

Arthur smiled sadly, clapping Merlin on the shoulder. 'I couldn't have done any of it without you Merlin. And tonight you will stand by my side, as my equal. Everyone will know who and what you are; you will be rewarded for this.' He strode over to his wardrobe, pulling out an ancient, midnight blue cloak.

'I found this last night. It's the traditional cloak of the Court Sorcerer of Camelot; I don't know why my father didn't destroy it, but we're lucky he didn't. It must be enchanted in some way. I thought it would come in handy tonight.' He handed it to Merlin, who looked at it in awe.

'Arthur…'

'Don't mention it.' The two shared a smile, before turning towards the door, just as it opened.

'My Lord! There are some men out here; they insist on speaking with you.'

'Send them in.'

Three men entered the room, two of whom Arthur recognised. Which meant the third must be Alator. Arthur smiled.

'It is alright, Sir Leon. I've been expecting them. You should join the men; I'll be there shortly.'

Sir Leon glanced between Arthur and the three strangers, but bowed and departed without a word. Arthur strode forward to shake Alator's hand.

'Thank you for coming.'

'When Lord Emrys sent for me, I could not ignore his request.' Arthur glanced behind him, where Merlin was staring determinedly at the floor, his ears going slightly red. Arthur smirked.

'Well, we are both very grateful. To all of you.'

Alator bowed slightly, turning his gaze to Merlin. 'My people are already within the castle walls, My Lord, awaiting your orders.'

Merlin nodded. 'Go with Arthur to meet with the Knight's; all of you. I'll go to the druids and prepare them for battle. The Knight's need to know that there are magic users on our side.'

'And what of your role in this?'

'Let's keep that between us five for now,' Merlin smiled. 'Can't have Morgana finding out too soon, can we?'

XxX

Arthur marched up the stairs to the base of the tower where the main portion of his Knights were preparing for battle. He took a deep breath before rounding the corner. All of his Knights looked up as he entered, but he gestured for them to remain sitting.

'There is something that all of you need to know before we go into battle.'

Leon nodded, standing up. 'Whatever it is, Sire, we will be behind you every step of the way.'

'Be careful with your promises, Leon,' Arthur smiled sadly. 'But I thank you for your devotion.' He gestured with his hand, and the three sorcerers joined him. 'This is Alator, leader of the Cathe, Gilli and Iseldir, who leads another clan of druids.'

'Druids?'

Arthur nodded. 'We have no hope of beating Morgana alone; she is very strong and she will have sorcerers within her army. Without the aid of the druids, there is every possibility that she will win. That is a risk I am not willing to take. Too much is at stake.'

'But what have you offered them in return?' Sir Thomas exclaimed. 'They have magic! They will turn against us!'

'They have sworn their allegiance to Camelot, and I hold them to their word. They will not turn against us. To answer your question; in return, we will no longer hunt their kind. Magic will once again flow into the realm.'

Thomas made to argue, but Leon held up his hand. 'Without the druids, we will surely fail. Morgana has already tricked us into ridding ourselves of a potential ally. I, for one, will not make that same mistake again. It would be an honour to fight alongside you all.'

Alator and Iseldir inclined their heads to Leon, whilst Gilli gave him a small smile. Arthur nodded to them, before turning back to his Knights.

'I have told you of their presence so that I can ensure their safety from my army during the fight. If you see someone casting magic, you must not attack them unless you are certain that they are an enemy of Camelot. The murder of any of our allies will be treated as though you have murdered one of our own, because you _have_.'

There was a loud crash outside and everyone jumped up, grabbing their weapons. Arthur held up his hand, looking up slightly.

'It's time. Good luck everyone; may the God's watch over you.'

Leon came forward and stood in front of Arthur, unsheathing his sword, and holding it in the air. 'For the love of Camelot.'

Arthur nodded, raising his own sword.

'For the love of Camelot!'

XxX

Arthur stood on the battlements, watching Morgana's army approaching. He waited until one of his scouts signalled him, before he nodded to Sir Leon. He remained still as Leon relayed the order.

'Raise the flag!'

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the flag go up. He leant against the wall, watching Morgana, as she halted her army, obviously considering his proposal. Then, another movement caught his eye.  
>A white flag.<p>

Arthur smiled. 'Stand down, but remain ready. I will speak with the Lady Morgana.'

'I'll accompany you, my lord.'

'Thank you,' Arthur smiled. 'Let's get this over with.'

XxX

Leon and the rest of the knight's remained further back as Arthur approached Morgana, sheathing his sword and holding up his hands.

Morgana raised an eyebrow, but walked out to meet him.

'Surprised to see me, dear brother?'

'This is your only chance, Morgana. Turn around and walk away.'

She let out a bark of laughter. 'You think that your pathetic band of druids – yes Arthur, I know all about you and Merlin trying to recruit them - will be enough to defeat me?'

This time it was Arthur who laughed. 'Of course not! They are here to combat your army of sorcerer's, not you directly. You're too powerful for that.'

'It will be useless, anyway. Without your precious Emrys, you have nothing.'

Arthur almost smiled, instead moulding his face into a mask of confusion. 'Emrys has been dealt with Morgana.'

'I know,' she smirked. 'And without him, Camelot will fall.'

'You see,' Arthur replied with a smile. Morgana looked taken-a-back by his suddenly calm expression. 'That would be true, if I hadn't taken a leaf out of your book, Morgana. You should know better than anyone that people _lie_!'

'Emrys is _dead_!' Morgana shrieked. Above their heads, there was a clap of thunder that made Arthur smile. 'Your precious manservant _killed _him! He has doomed all of Camelot, all because of his loyalty to you!'

'Again, that _would _be true,' Arthur smiled, completely calm, 'If Merlin had actually killed Emrys.'

Shocked gasps, from both sides, as Morgana took a step back.

'What?'

'Merlin didn't kill Emrys; he really would have to be an idiot to manage _that _one.'

Morgana's eyes narrowed. 'If Merlin didn't kill Emrys, who did?'

At this, Arthur looked a bit sheepish. 'Ah, well that's the thing. I may or may not have told a little white lie when I told the whole of Camelot that Emrys was dead.'

'No…'

'Yes,' Arthur took a step forward. 'You ordered Agravaine to have Emrys killed, because Emrys wasn't a threat to Camelot; he was a threat to you. When Agravaine attacked Emrys in the woods almost two months ago, I defended him and I killed the traitor. And so, Lady Morgana, I am giving you one last chance. Walk. Away.'

'You lie!' Morgana screamed. 'Ready the army.'

Arthur shook his head sadly. 'Don't say I didn't warn you.'

He unsheathed his sword, raising his arm up. Morgana watched him fearfully, as it dropped.

The sky exploded with sharp lightning, and Morgana cried out, ducking her head. Arthur remained where he was as the lightning hit the ground, directly in the middle of Morgana's army. She shrieked, raising her hand, but couldn't find the direction the attack was coming from, and, suddenly, she was thrown backwards as an unknown force struck her.

Arthur turned, his eyes immediately locating the figure perched on top of the guard tower. The figure vanished, reappearing at Arthur's side, swathed in a blue cloak with a hood that hid his face, holding an ancient staff. Morgana clambered to her feet, staring at the figure with a mixture of fear and hatred.

'_You_!'

He just nodded, twirling his staff in his hand before pointing it at Morgana. _Show off_, Arthur smiled, taking a step back. Leon and Gwaine ran forward but he merely shook his head, once again turning to face the battling magicians.

'He can handle this.'

'Who is he?'

'He's Emrys.'

XxX

Merlin fixed his gaze on Morgana, allowing everything else to fade out. The Druids had him covered if any of Morgana's men tried to attack. His only focus was her.

'So you are alive,' she sneered. 'Arthur truly did lie to his people to protect one cowardly sorcerer.'

'It wasn't my decision, Morgana,' he replied. She jumped, looking at him with wide eyes.

'Your voice. It is different, yet I know it.'

'Of course you do,' he smiled, straightening up slightly. 'You know me very well, Lady Morgana. At least, you thought you did.'

She laughed, taking a step towards him, raising her hand. 'If you were truly destined to be my doom, why didn't you act before I knew who you were?'

'Because I thought you could be saved.'

Morgana faltered in her step. She stared at him for a moment, before shaking her head. 'You can't be… It's not possible!'

Merlin smiled, reaching up with his hand, and pulling back his hood.  
>He heard the horrified mutterings coming from behind him as the Knight's realised who he was, but he found that he really didn't care. He was waiting for Morgana's reaction.<p>

'No…' she whispered, going even paler than she already was. She shook her head again, before letting out an agonised scream. 'No!'

Merlin threw his hands up, creating a shield in front of the whole of Camelot as she let out a blast of energy.

'You traitor!' she screamed, sending blast after blast at his shield. He thrust his arm out, and she flew backwards, crashing into the ground. But she was back on her feet in a moment.

'How could you?' Morgana cried. 'How could you possibly be Emrys? You're just a servant!'

'I'm more than that!' Merlin shouted back, his grip tightening on his staff. 'I am Merlin Emrys of the Druids, sworn protector of Arthur Pendragon, the Once and Future King of all Albion. And you, Lady Morgana, are in my way.'

'All this time the most powerful sorcerer in history was hiding right under Uther Pendragon's nose,' she sneered, trying to regain some semblance of self-control. 'How you've deceived us, Merlin. You really are a coward.'

He laughed. 'I am not the coward, Morgana. I did what I had to do to protect my friends, and my family.'

'As did I,' she spat, stepping back. 'It is time, _Lord _Emrys. Make yourselves ready, for I shall show you no mercy.'

'It doesn't have to be this way, Morgana,' he begged her. 'Arthur has already decreed the return of magic to this land. Both magic and non-magic can live in peace together. There is no need for any-more bloodshed. Please.'

'You're wrong,' she sighed. 'It is too late for that. I look forward to meeting you on the battlefield, Merlin Emrys.'

He looked down at the ground, before lowering his shield. 'So be it. I will be waiting.'

At the same moment, they both turned, heading back to their respective armies. Arthur walked out to meet him. 'How long do we have?'

Merlin looked up at the now clear, deep red sky. 'Not long. Get back into the citadel and close the gates. Prepare for siege.'

As they crossed the gate, Merlin turned back, his gaze once again meeting Morgana's.

'I'm so sorry.'

The look of deep hatred in her eyes was the last one he saw before the gates closed and he made his way up to the battlements.

It was time.

_**Dun dun dun! Morgana knows! I hope this was a bit different in a good way. **_

_**Most people would expect Morgana to attack him straight away, which she kind of did, but then she would allow him to retreat under the white flag. That was Arthur's ploy to throw Morgana off and introduce Merlin to the battle, by the way. **_

_**Next chapter will be the battle itself! It's my first attempt at writing a battle scene, so if anyone has any tips, pointers or things they'd like to see, please let me know! As always, reviews are much loved, so please drop one in my inbox before you leave!  
>See you on Sunday! (I've had to put it back a day due to an EXTREMELY hectic weekend. Sorry!)<br>**_

_**TTFN  
>Valkyriexx<strong>_


	13. Chapter 12

_**150 reviews people! You are so awesomely amazing, I am sending everyone Kilgharrah shaped cookies! I love you all so much!  
><strong>_

_**OK, so it's a day late, and it's probably not the best battle scene in the fandom, but they are REALLY hard to write! Plus, I got covered in purple paint…. So, that's my excuse… **_

_**Enjoy!**_

_CRASH!_

Arthur hit the ground, pulling Merlin with him as the entire castle quaked.

'What was that?'

'The druids shield is holding!' Merlin shouted back. 'But it'll only keep out their large attacks. We need to get to the battlements!'

The King nodded, dragging him up with him, as they began to run down the corridor again. The castle quaked again, and they staggered, but managed to stay upright.

'How long will it hold?'

'As long as Iseldir keeps the druids together, it'll hold.'

They ran up the stairs, banging through the door out onto the battlements where Leon, Gwaine and a small group of Knight's were preparing for siege ladders. Gwaine grabbed Merlin's wrist, pulling him up short, with a yelp.

'Oi! How come you told Arthur and not me?'

'We don't have time for this, Gwaine!' Arthur bellowed, attempting to wrench the Warlock away from the Knight.

'Not until he's answered my question,' Gwaine growled. 'I told you when you woke up that I'd originally thought you were Emrys! Why didn't you say anything?'

'It was too dangerous!' Merlin shouted as yet another fireball hit the shield. 'The more people that knew of our plan, the more dangerous it was. I was just trying to protect you.'

Gwaine blinked as a different ball of energy hit the shield. This time is flared gold as it strained against the powerful blast. Merlin turned, his eyes seeking the druids who were holding the shield not far from them.

'Gwaine…'

Gwaine let go of his arm, abruptly, and Merlin hurried away.

'You owe me a drink though!'

Merlin laughed and rejoined Arthur by the ledge. In the distance, they could see the last remnants of the sunset fading away, leaving behind only the glow of the enemies torches just beyond the city gates. Iseldir left the group of druids, approaching the King and Warlock.

'My Lord's,' he bowed. 'I have six druids maintaining the shield, another six are working on your wards surrounding the castle, enforcing them and the rest are in the infirmary with Lady Guinevere and Aithusa.'

'And what of Alator?' Arthur asked. Merlin wasn't paying much attention; his focus was on Morgana. Even through the darkness he could make her out, and he knew she was watching him.

'The Cathe are divided evenly amongst the Knights. We are as prepared as we're going to be.'

Arthur nodded and turned to his friend.

'Merlin?'

Merlin was staring intently out over the battlements.

'Merlin?'

'Down!'

Merlin slammed into Arthur, knocking both him and Iseldir to the ground as he threw his arms up just in-time to catch the fireball Morgana had aimed in their direction. Almost instantly, the sky rumbled and a fork of lightning struck Morgana's army.

Another crash and a stream of soldiers flooded into the lower town, running straight towards the barricade.

'They've broken through!'

Arthur slammed his hands down on the wall, reaching for his sword.

'We need to get down there!'

'Let's go!'

XxX

Merlin raised his arms to the sky, roaring as swords clanged around him. He turned to see a sword swinging towards him but then Arthur was there, his own sword blocking the blade. Merlin thrust his arm out, and the mercenary shot backwards, slamming into a wall. Arthur gave Merlin a quick smile, before twirling his sword in his hands and rushing forward into the battle. Merlin continued on, fighting his way through the masses of struggling knights. Above his head, the shield shuddered as Morgana's sorcerers continued to fire at castle.

Then, a dark shape loomed over the castle. Merlin smiled as everyone stopped, looking up in terror.  
>Kilgharrah circled once before letting out a deep roar and descending upon Morgana's army, flames bursting from his mouth. The men cried out as the flames shot towards them, and Arthur let out a cheer as Kilgharrah banked over the castle, coming around for another strike.<p>

'A dragon?'

Merlin turned, grasping his staff, as Morgana approached him.

'Hello again, Emrys,' she sneered.

'Morgana.'

'Where did the dragon come from?'

'Don't worry,' Merlin smirked. 'That was _after _you turned evil.'

Her eyes narrowed as she took a step to the side. Merlin moved in synch with her, circling. The rest of the battle had faded; their sole focus was each other.

'What happened to us, Morgana? Where did it all go wrong?'

'You _left_ me! I needed you, and you weren't there!' she screeched.

'I did what I had to do!' Merlin snapped. 'I sent you to the Druids, and I covered for you because it was the only way I could help you. It was _too _dangerous for me to openly talk to you about magic! You know this, Morgana! I was protecting you the only way I knew how!'

'You abandoned me, Merlin!' she screamed, the ground shaking slightly. 'And because of you, all of Camelot will pay.'

'You were trying to destroy Camelot long before you discovered your magic!'

She stopped here, staring at him.

'What?'

'You don't remember Tauren?'

Morgana's eyes went wide, and she stared at him for a moment.

Merlin jabbed his staff forward, aiming a jet of red light at her. Morgana blocked it, thrusting out her own hand. '_Ablinn ðu;__forlæte ðu nu!_'

The warlock flew backwards, landing painfully on his back, as Morgana advanced towards him. He scrambled to his feet, aiming another spell at the witch. '_Ic her aciege ænne windræs! Færblæd wawe! Windræs ungetermed: gehiere! Ic ðe bebiede mid ealle strangnesse ðæt ðu geblæwest ond sierest strange! Ge spurne þeos hægtesse!_'

Morgana screamed as she was blasted off her feet, slamming into the wall behind her.

Merlin crouched down next to her, placing a hand on her neck. Her eyes flickered open, immediately finding his cerulean blue. A tear escaped the corner of Merlin's eye as they glowed gold. Morgana gasped as she felt her magic bind.

'I'm so sorry,' he whispered.

'You may have won this battle, _Merlin_,' she hissed. 'But you're not the only one with a few tricks up your sleeve. You're going to be too late to save your King!'

Merlin felt his heart drop as he heard a cry, followed by an explosion. '_Arthur!_'

XxX

Arthur swung his sword round, blocking the over-head cut aimed at him. The mercenary looked slightly surprised as Arthur pushed him away, cutting him down. The dragon roared as it swooped down for yet another attack, this time aiming for the enemy's catapults. A fireball flew over Arthur's head, striking the castle wall, causing debris to fall onto the men battling beneath it. Arthur cursed; the druids shield was wavering.

He spun again, blocking yet another blade, but froze as he saw the person on the end of it.

The seventeen year old lashed out again, and Arthur hurried to block it. He swung again, and Arthur jumped backwards to avoid it.

'You…'

Mordred grinned at him, circling the sword in one hand, before stepping towards the King. The boys' eyes flared gold, and Arthur felt his feet go out beneath him, hitting the ground.

He groaned, as he tried to regain his footing, but he felt a blade at his throat almost immediately.

'Any last words, King Arthur?'

The hatred in his voice... No child should know hate like that. Arthur gulped, looking at the boy.

'You don't need to do this. I've already given my word to the druids that I will do everything in my power to right the wrongs against you. I know that it will never be enough, but you need to give me a chance!'

'Your right,' Mordred drew back slightly. 'It will never be enough.' He lunged forward.

Arthur rolled, kicking out a Mordred's leg, taking him down. He threw himself forward, attempting to pin the boy to the ground.

There was a loud cry to his left, as another fireball exploded just behind him.

'Arthur!'

Mordred kicked out, knocking Arthur away, reaching for his sword. Suddenly, Merlin was there, knocking the weapon away. Mordred jumped to his feet, but Merlin was quicker.

'_Ic þé wiþdrífe!_' Mordred was blasted backwards, and Merlin hurried to his King. 'Are you alright?'

Arthur nodded as Merlin pulled him to his feet. 'He's…'

'I know…'

'But he was a kid…'

'I know, Arthur!' Merlin snapped, throwing the King his sword as Mordred finally stood again.

'You're a traitor, Emrys!'

'Magic has returned to Camelot; that's what we wanted. Please, Mordred. You don't have to do this.'

'It is my destiny, Emrys. But you knew that, didn't you.'

Mordred smiled, evilly, raising his hand.

'No one can deny their destiny.'

Arthur watched in horror as a ball of blue energy appeared in Mordred's hand, growing larger. Merlin shoved him, pushing him to the ground before lunging at the sorcerer.

'Merlin!'

Arthur cried out as he watched his friend disappear in a cloud of smoke.

When it cleared, both Merlin and the sorcerer were gone.

_**And there we have the first part of the battle. There will be a second part to it, but it won't be very long, followed by a bit of reconciliation. **_

_**This chapter is, at the moment, unbetaed, so let me know of any mistakes!  
>Anyway, please let me know what you think! And if there's anything specific you'd like to see in the next chapter, battle wise, please let me know! <strong>_

_**Drop a review before you go! Doesn't take long, and it really makes my day!  
>Thanks for reading!<br>TTFN  
>Valkyriexx <strong>_


	14. Chapter 13

_**And here lies the second chapter of the battle. Thank you to everyone for their amazing reviews; I really don't know what else to say to you guys, except that you're amazing. It means a lot to me. **_

_**Another quick note; Arthursmol will be posting a oneshot written by my 9 year old brother, who has ASD, in the Harry Potter fandom later today. It would mean the world to the both of us if you would check it out for him. Please be kind with any reviews; he is only 9. It is very cute and we are both very proud of him. It's called Albus's First Day At Hogwarts.  
><strong>_

_**On with the chapter! **_

Merlin rolled as he hit the ground, sweeping his cloak aside as he clambered to his feet, turning to face Mordred. The younger man was already up, snarling at Merlin.

'What did you do?'

'Took you away from Camelot,' Merlin smiled. 'Morgana is in custody and your army is retreating; it's over, Mordred.'

'It will not be over until Arthur Pendragon is dead!'

'Why?' Merlin yelled back. Mordred stopped his advance, looking slightly surprised. 'I know that you feel that I've let you down, and I have. But that's me; not Arthur and not Camelot. It's my mistakes that have caused so many problems, but I've done everything in my power to fix it! Why destroy Arthur for something that has nothing to do with him?'

'Because it is my destiny!'

'Screw destiny!'

Mordred actually took a step back from the Warlock, as Merlin advanced towards him.

'You have a choice, Mordred,' Merlin whispered, extending his hand. 'As much as the prophets say that we don't, we do. I chose to embrace my destiny, but you don't _have _to! I could have left, escaped Camelot when I had the chance, but I _wanted_ to stay, and make a difference. We make our own destinies; we chose our own paths. If you come with me now, I promise you, you will never live in fear again.'

The younger warlock looked at Merlin's outstretched hand, seemingly considering taking it. He moved forward, extending his own.

Suddenly Mordred flicked his wrist and Merlin was thrown backwards, slamming into a tree. He gasped, trying to get back up. Mordred advanced on him, his handsome face twisted into a cruel smirk.

'Then maybe I should make it my destiny to destroy _you_!'

He raised his hand again, but Merlin was quicker. Without even bothering to move, his eyes flashed gold and Mordred hurtled backwards, vanishing amongst the brush. Merlin stood, and ran across the clearing, clouds forming in the sky above the clearing. Out of the corner of his eye, Merlin noticed a drop on the edge of the clearing, and noted, with some surprise, that this was the clearing where he and Agravaine had fought months previously.

Mordred was back in the clearing now, his golden eyes blazing with fury.

'You will _pay, _Emrys!'

Merlin smiled sadly at him. 'I wish you would reconsider, Mordred. You could have everything.'

'I will have everything, even if I have to take it from you myself!' Mordred screamed, letting loose a powerful blast of magic.

'_Scildan_!' Merlin threw his cloak up, a shield forming in front of him. Immediately he heard Mordred cry out as a bolt of lightning struck the ground next to him. There was a loud cracking sound, and a scream. Merlin stood quickly, just in time to see Mordred disappear over the edge of the cliff.

He ran to the edge, dropping to his knee's to look over, but could see no sign of the Warlock.

He let out a breath of relief. Mordred was gone; he may not be dead, but he wouldn't be back for some time.

Merlin groaned as he stood for the last time, looking around the clearing. There were black scorch marks on the ground that made Merlin wince; he really didn't like battling with his magic.

Exhausted, he turned and made his way back to Camelot.

XxX

Arthur picked up the staff that lay discarded in the middle of the courtyard, looking around at the wreckage in the courtyard. The mercenaries had begun their retreat not long after Merlin and Mordred had disappeared. Leon had announced that Morgana had been captured, and the opposing army had pretty much run away after that.

He caught sight of Iseldir and Alator, making their way through the crowd, leading a group of druids, searching for survivors amongst the fallen. He sighed as he straightened up, still clutching Merlin's staff tightly. Gwaine hurried over, picking his way through the rubble.

'You alright, Princess?'

Arthur nodded, numbly, taking in the blood and dirt on the other Knight's face.

'Where's Merlin?'

Arthur gulped, licking his dry lips before attempting t speak. 'He…'

Gwaine's eyes narrowed as he came closer, staring at the staff in Arthur's hand. 'Where. Is. Merlin?'

'He took Mordred away. I don't know where.'

Gwaine let out a growl of frustration. 'How can you _not _know?'

Arthur's eyes widened. 'Are you blaming _me_?'

'Of course I'm blaming you! You were with him; you were supposed to be looking out for him!'

'He's the most powerful sorcerer to ever _live_, Gwaine! What did you expect me to do?'

'He's supposed to be your friend, or were you just using him to beat Morgana, and now you don't care about him anymore?'

'Where the _hell _did you get that from?' Arthur snapped, gripping his sword tightly.

'Then why aren't you looking for him?'

'Because I don't know where to start!' Gwaine stopped, looking at him with suspicion but with a hint of remorse in his eyes. 'If I send a search party to the wrong place, Merlin could die. And I can't send out everyone, because there's so much to do here, but I need to find Merlin, yet I have my duties as King to see that _my people_ are alright! So what would you have me do, Gwaine? What would _you _do?'

Gwaine gulped, looking around him at the damage. 'I guess… I guess I'd send someone I know I can trust to find Merlin, so that I can handle all this, knowing it's being taken care of.'

Arthur smiled gently, handing Gwaine the staff. 'You do that Gwaine. You bring him home.'

Gwaine smiled before heading out of the city. Arthur turned, and made his way back into the castle, stopping every now and then to give orders to one of the Knight's.

'Leon!' Leon turned, and gave him a relieved smile, hurrying towards him.

'Sire! I was worried when we couldn't find you.'

'I'm alright, Leon. Where's Morgana?'

'She has already been taken to the dungeon's my Lord. She… she's been trying to use magic, but something's not right. It's not working.'

Arthur smiled. 'Well done, Merlin,' he whispered before turning back to the knight. 'Thank you, Leon. I'll head down there once I am certain everything else has been taken care of.'

Leon nodded, and gestured up the stairs. 'Gwen and Gaius have the infirmary under control, if you'd like to head up there now.'

'That I will.'

He shook the Knight's hand briefly before heading towards the infirmary. Gwen was just entering when he arrived.

'Arthur,' she breathed, throwing her arms around his neck. He buried his face in her dark hair, taking a deep breath. 'Are you alright?'

'I'm fine, thanks to Merlin.' She nodded, before turning away. Arthur frowned.

'Are you OK?'

'I'm fine.'

'You're angry with him, aren't you?'

'Why didn't he tell me?' she cried, wiping her face with the back of her hand. 'I don't care about the magic, or what he's done. Why didn't he tell me though?' Arthur grabbed her in a hug, pulling her close as she began sobbing, feeling tears of his own prickle behind his eyes at her distress.

'He didn't want to put you in danger, Guinevere,' he whispered, using her full name to get her attention. She looked up at him with red eyes, and he kissed her forehead. 'It's the reason he never told anyone. He's a selfless idiot who was too scared of someone else getting into trouble because of something he'd done. He's Merlin, Gwen; what else would you expect from him?'

She laughed slightly, wrapping her own arms around him again, resting her head against his shoulder.

'Where is he?'

'Gwaine'll find him. Don't worry; Merlin's always OK.'

She nodded, before taking his hand and leading him into the infirmary, where a fussing Gaius was waiting.

XxX

Gwaine stopped at the edge of the main road from Camelot, trying to decide which route to take. The army had fled through the woods, and he was worried that Merlin had run into them. Whilst he stood, contemplating his options, a rustle in the bushes caught his attention. He drew his sword, edging forward as the cloaked figure emerged from the bushes.

'Show yourself!'

The man limped forward, pushing back the hood of his cloak. Gwaine let out a relieved laugh. 'Merlin!'

Merlin grinned, tiredly as Gwaine grabbed him in a hug.

'Good to have you back, mate.'

All Merlin could do was nod.

_**And there it ends….**_

_**Next chapter will be Merlin's interactions with everyone, including Morgana! I hope you liked Gwen and Gwaine's reactions to Merlin's magic... it will have more detail in the next chapter.  
><strong>_

_**Only two more chapter to go till the end! I will be so sad when this is over… Oh well. Only have a month and a half till I can start another fanfiction!**_

_**Thank you to my Beta's for putting up with me! Check out Hollyblue2's Alex Rider fics, and Arthursmol's Romione oneshots. Thanks guys! **_

_**Reviews, as always, are golden. Let's aim for 200, pleaseeeeeee! Let me know what you think!  
>TTFN<br>Valkyriexx**_


	15. Chapter 14

**A few of the ideas for this chapter came from stingrae90's story The Luxury Of Trust (which is definitely worth a read!) **

**Nothing else to ramble about at this moment in time, so, on with the chapter! **

Gwaine and Merlin trudged slowly back into the citadel, the guards and Knight's moving out of the way. Ordinarily, Merlin would have been upset or embarrassed by their reactions, but he was just too tired to care.

They made their way through the ruined Lower Town, taking care not to trip over the debris. However, as they passed each ruined house, the bricks and wood flew up into the air, reassembling and making each house look like new. Gwaine watched them with wide eyes, but Merlin didn't seem to notice. The townspeople, who were now beginning to return to their homes, were following each brick with startled but amazed expressions on their faces.

'Merlin, are you doing this on purpose?'

The Warlock's head jerked up, his confused eyes finding Gwaine's.

'What?'

'The houses. Is that you?'

Merlin looked around himself at the houses, slightly surprised. 'Oh. Sorry.'

Gwaine laughed incredulously. 'You didn't realise?' Merlin shook his head, looking sheepish, causing Gwaine to laugh. 'You really are something, mate.'

They continued on in silence, the ruined framework still repairing itself as they went past. As they entered the courtyard, Merlin seemed to come out of his haze, his footsteps faltering. Gwaine stopped too, turning to face him.

'You OK?'

The Warlock glanced at him before nodding. 'Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.' They pressed on, climbing the stairs into the castle itself. Once they were inside, Gwaine grabbed Merlin's arm, steering him into the closest empty hallway.

'OK. Talk.'

Merlin frowned, not understanding. 'Sorry?'

'Why didn't you tell me?'

'About what? The Emrys thing? I thought I'd explained that.'

'Three sentences, Merlin, but that's not what I was talking about. The legends say that Emrys was born with magic, which means you could have told me long before this and we could have avoided the problem. So spill. Why didn't you tell me?'

'Well…'

'Well what?'

'It's just that…'

'Come on, spit it out.'

'I will if you give me the chance!' Merlin snapped, glaring at Gwaine and shaking his arm loose. He walked over to the window, his back to the Knight. He heard Gwaine move, but he didn't speak until Merlin turned back around. 'It's not that I couldn't trust you; given the choice I'd trust you more than most other people, besides maybe Gwen,' he smiled and was relieved to see the other man smile too. 'But I'm not too sure I knew who to trust. Everyone who knows about my magic and is still alive, with the exception of Gilli, I think, had to force it out of me. I just don't know how to trust anyone anymore; I've been let down too many times.'

Gwaine bit his lip, and coughed dryly. 'Did… did Lancelot know?'

Merlin nodded, looking back down the corridor.

'OK… Well, I can't say I'm surprised, the way he was always covering for you. And Gaius. Anyone else in Camelot?'

'No,' Merlin shook his head. 'Like I said, I didn't know who I could trust.'

'Fair enough,' Gwaine sighed, running a hand through his hair. He glanced out the window, before gesturing back the way they came. 'We'd better get up the infirmary before the princess sends out a search party for you.'

At that, Merlin laughed as they set off again. Gwaine immediately noticed that Merlin seemed a lot more relaxed now they'd had a proper chat, which made him smile too. Maybe, just maybe, everything was going to be fine.

XxX

Gwen looked up as the infirmary door opened, and her face split into a wide grin. 'Merlin!' Merlin smiled wearily as she flew into his arms, wrapping him in a warm hug. The warlock let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Arthur stood up behind her, looking momentarily relieved before he managed to control his emotions.

'Mordred?'

'Gone for now.'

Arthur nodded as Gwen finally released Merlin, wiping her tears as she beamed at him. 'I was so worried; we all were.'

'Even Arthur?' Merlin grinned, raising his eyebrows at the King. Arthur shrugged as Gwen stepped back, looking between the two friends.

'_Especially_ Arthur.'

Merlin laughed as Gaius came over, engulfing his ward in a hug. Merlin returned it, sighing in relief, until…

'Ow!'

He drew back, rubbing his head to meet Gaius' disapproving stare. 'How many times do I have to tell you about running off, Merlin?'

'What? How was I running off?'

'You spirited Mordred away from the city, so you could fight him on your own with no collateral damage, didn't you?'

For the second time that day, Merlin couldn't help but look sheepish. 'Could you repeat the question?' Gaius clipped him over the back of the head before forcing him to sit down on a bed, checking him for injuries.

'I'm fine, Gaius.'

'I'll be the judge of that!' Merlin made to protest, but had the sense to shut his mouth at the look his mentor gave him, instead choosing to take off his cloak.

'He was limping on the way back,' Gwaine volunteered, grinning at the glare Merlin gave him as Gaius tutted, rolling up Merlin's trouser leg to survey the damage.

'I pulled a muscle on the way back from the clearing. It's not a big deal!' but the Physician ignored him, spending several minutes examining both legs before pulling himself up. 'Well?'

'Pulled muscle,' Gaius muttered, causing Merlin to grin at him. 'Don't. Say. Anything.' Merlin just continued smiling as he stood up, unrolling his trouser legs.

Gwen perched herself on the bed in Merlin's place, watching the interaction take place. He turned to her, watching her brow crease. 'You OK?'

She nodded slightly, looking at him. He bit his lip. She may have forgiven him, but there was still a lot to talk about.

'Gwen…'

'It's OK, Merlin. I understand why you didn't tell me.'

'Really?' He asked, his eyebrows doing an accurate impersonation of Gaius', but, for once, it didn't make her laugh. Instead, her lip quivered as she began to cry.

'You could have told me,' she whispered, her eyes begging. Merlin sighed.

'When, Guinevere? Just after you'd been accused of magic the first time, or the second? How about when the sorcerer Tauren got your father arrested? There was never a good time, Gwen, you must know that,' his voice was soft but firm.

'You couldn't trust me,' she murmured. Merlin felt a strange sense of déjà vu. Hadn't he just had a similar conversation with Gwaine?

'What would you have done, Gwen?' he asked, aware that the whole infirmary was listening to him. 'Imagine you had a secret that could get you killed; could get everyone you care about killed. Who do you trust? Your master? Your best friend? Could you live with yourself if something happened to them because of you? What if they let something slip? The less people that knew, the better.'

Gwen sat for a moment, her hands clutching the end of the bed. Arthur glared at him as he slipped onto the bed behind her, wrapping his arm around his shoulders. When she spoke, it was so quiet, had Merlin not been listening for it, he wouldn't have heard her speak.

'Who was it better for, Merlin?'

'Sorry?' He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Poor Gwen; poor, sweet Gwen with her gentle heart.

'You shouldn't have had to go through all this alone. We should have seen it; been able to help you. It wasn't better for you, Merlin.'

Merlin sighed, shaking his head. 'Maybe not. But at least I knew that, should I ever be caught, you were going to safe. And then… there was the whole thing with Alator…'

'Your druid friend?' Merlin turned as Gwaine stepped forward. 'What happened with him?'

Merlin took a step back so he could see relatively everyone, glancing at the old Physician for confirmation. Gaius nodded.

'Morgana originally hired him to find Emrys. They knew that Gaius knew, so Alator…'

'Alator used a form of magic to force the information from me. We were lucky that Alator's true loyalties turned out to be _with _Emrys, but it was too close for comfort. Merlin could have died because I was unable to protect him. It… _reinforced _the idea in his head that he could never tell anyone else.'

'It wasn't my life I was worried about…'

'Which is the problem,' Arthur stood, still holding Gwen's hand. 'You spend far too much time worrying about the rest of us. Now it's time for us to worry about you.'

'You're worried about me, Arthur?' the sarcastic comment was out before Merlin could stop it.

'No,' Arthur snorted, sounding every bit the obnoxious Prince he used to be. 'I meant Gwen and the Knight's!' Merlin raised an eyebrow at him, and Arthur's insulted expression disappeared. 'Yes. I meant all of us.'

'Really?'

'Don't be stupid, Merlin,' Arthur laughed, and the other's laughed as Merlin grinned, turning back to Gwen.

'I promise I will tell you everything, Gwen, but it's going to take time.'

She smiled tearfully at him. 'We have plenty of it.'

Merlin sighed in relief again, looking towards the King. 'We need to…'

'I know.'

The two men nodded to the Physician and Arthur gave Gwen a swift kiss before heading out of the infirmary and towards the dungeons.

XxX

'Leon reported that she's been attempting to use her magic, but has been unable to do so since he brought her in.'

'The enchantments still holding. Good; I was worried.'

'You didn't know that it would work?'

'Made it up on the spot.'

Arthur gave him an exasperated look as they descended the steps towards the dungeons.

Leon, Elyan and Percival were grouped at the entrance, talking quietly, but they looked up at Arthur and Merlin's footsteps.

'Sire!' They started forward, looking warily at Merlin. Merlin gulped, but Arthur simply clapped him on the shoulder and dragged him forward.

'Everything alright down here?'

'She keeps trying, sire, but so far nothing's happened.'

Arthur nodded, shooting Merlin a look. Merlin held his gaze expectantly, until Arthur coughed and turned back to Leon, causing Merlin to smirk.

'We need to speak with her immediately.'

'We?'

'Merlin, and myself.' Leon frowned.

'Is that wise, sire?'

Arthur glared at Leon. 'Yes, _Sir _Leon. Merlin just saved the whole of Camelot from _two _rogue sorcerers. And he's the one who cast the spell that's preventing Morgana from using her own magic. I think he's trustworthy enough.'

Leon hesitated again, still looking a Merlin with suspicious, confused eyes, but allowed them both to pass. Merlin glanced back over his shoulder, to see Percival give him an encouraging nod. He nodded back, and followed the King further into the dungeons.

'_Isen fæstnunga onlucan me!_' Merlin winced at the harshness of the spell, and the frustrated scream that followed it.

They passed the guards to stand in front of the cell, where Morgana was chained. She was facing the wall, tugging ferociously against her bonds. Surely she must be hurting herself, Merlin thought, but the witch didn't seem to care as she finally saw them standing there.

'_You_!' she screeched, her eyes filled with hatred as Merlin stepped up to the bars.

'I've bound your magic, Morgana. There's no point trying to escape.'

She hissed at him, standing up the face him squarely. 'You're a _traitor_, Emrys. A traitor to your own kind!'

'_Our _kind,' Merlin snapped, his eyes blazing as Morgana fell back. 'Our kind backed me on a peaceful resolution to 25 years of bloodshed. How could your approach ever hope for peace and prosperity, when one side would always fear and despise the other? You were never meant to be Queen, Morgana, not because you're not entitled to it…'

'She _isn't _entitled to it!'

'Shut up, Arthur,' he sighed, running a hand through his raven hair. 'You don't understand what it takes to be a good leader.'

'And _they _do?' she sneered, sitting upright, and watching them coldly. Merlin didn't need to ask who she meant as Arthur flinched.

'Uther didn't. Just like you, he thought he could bring peace through war; fight fire with fire. In the end… he only got himself burned. Just like you.'

She sneered again, but with less ferocity behind it. 'And what about your precious Once and Future King, who has slaughtered more of our kind then he can keep track of?'  
>'I always believed that magic was going to be the cause of this Kingdom's down fall,' Arthur came forwards, moving closer to the bars. 'But I was never in favour of executing someone without a fair trial. Like you, my father wouldn't listen to me. He just chained me up when I disagreed. But I never revolted against him because I <em>knew <em>that I could make a difference once I was King.'

'But you didn't!'

'Because you murdered my father through magic,' Arthur spat. Morgana's eyes widened and Merlin couldn't help but smirk. 'Did you really think that wouldn't have come out once Merlin was revealed to be Emrys? I know exactly what you did to my father, Morgana. And by doing that, all you did was increase the suffering of your own kind.'

He turned on his heel and swept away, leaving Merlin alone with Morgana. He turned to leave as well, but hesitated for a moment.

'I never told you about my magic because I believed that you knowing would only lead to more pain for us both. You had Gaius and you had the druids; I honestly thought you could be saved Morgana. By the time you found out about your own magic, it was too late for you to forgive me for the lies I'd been telling you for nearly two years. You were never destined to forgive me. But I was destined to forgive you.'

'We make our own destinies, _Merlin_!' she spat, turning away from him. Merlin smiled sadly.

'That we do.'

XxX

'Why are you having such a problem with this, Leon?'

'He's been here for nearly six years! Who knows what damage he could have done?'

'_Damage?_ He saved our lives, you ungrateful sack of…'

'_Gwaine!' _

'What?'

Merlin cursed under his breath as he rested his head against the wall. It was strange to him, that Leon had been the first to accept the druids help and the mistake of killing Emrys, but was the only one of the Knight's that _hadn't_ accepted his role as Emrys. He was currently sat outside the Council Chambers, waiting for a meeting that was supposed to have started half an hour ago, but had been delayed by the argument that was still going on, behind closed doors but for all to hear.

'He deceived us, sire. Especially with the rumours about his own death. It could have been some sort of trick…'

'It _was _a trick. On Morgana, not you. I know you were my father's right hand man, but surely you must see…'

'I do the benefits of having a sorcerer on our side. I'm just not sure we can trust him…'

'Because of the lies.'

'Yes.'

Well, that made sense, Merlin groaned as he stood up, nodding to the guards to open the doors for him.

'If it's the lying that's the problem, could we sort this out later before the Lords get even more grumpy?'

Said Lords grumbled as they took their places around the council table. Arthur simply rolled his eyes and dismissed Leon and Gwaine with a wave of his hand. Gwaine still looked furious, but took his seat without a word. Leon did the same.

'Right, first order of business…' Arthur paused for a moment, scanning the papers in front of him, before looking up and grinning at Merlin, who was stood to the side with Alator and Iseldir.

'The abolishment of the laws concerning the use of magic within Camelot.'

Merlin couldn't help but beam back.

**It felt right to have **_**someone **_**not accept Merlin, and it just happened to merge into being Leon. Poor Leon. I do love him (Will Young's twin brother, don't you know) but it seemed right for him to be the grump. And some more Gwaine fun. **

**The next chapter, I'm sorry to say, will be the last of this story and the last for over a month. If you have an idea's or prompts, please let me know! As always, it **_**will **_**be a reveal fic, but an angsty one this time, I think. **

**Thank you again to my wonderful beta's, Hollyblue2 and Arthursmol. And, on behalf of both me **_**and **_**Arthursmol, thank you to everyone who read my little brother's story, **_**Albus's First Day At Hogwarts**_**. It was amazing the amount of support he got, so thank you. **

**Please review! I'm always dying to hear your thoughts and idea's! **

**See you soon!  
>TTFN<br>Valkriexx **


	16. Epilogue

**I can't believe this is the last chapter! I've tried to include everything that makes Merlin and Arthur great; bromance, Arwen and wise Merlin, so I hope it's alright.  
>Enjoy! (Now re-uploaded after a mistake pointed out by SpangleyPony and Jelly Babes 101... Not sure Mordred would appreciate being called a girl. : Sorry about that!)  
><strong>

They all took their seats at the round table, Merlin, of course, on the King's right hand side with Gwen, her hands resting on her swollen stomach, on the left. Merlin gave her a gentle smile, and she grinned nervously back. The poor girl was still in shock; not that he could blame her. That's why Arthur had called this meeting of his closest friends and advisors, the morning after Gaius had delivered the news.

Gwen was pregnant with twins.

A loud cheer went up around the table and Gwen blushed furiously as Arthur kissed her hand. Merlin beamed at them as he leant forward to congratulate the happy couple, just catching Arthur's move as he turned away to wipe a tear from his eye. It was too good to miss.

'Don't be such a girl, Arthur!'

Arthur proceeded to smack Merlin round the back of the head as the Knight's laughed. Sir Leon caught the Warlock's eye, and smiled at him, nodding. It had taken time, and effort, but eventually the older Knight had come round to Merlin's ideals. Now, their friendship was stronger than ever, and Merlin was glad; Leon really was a good friend to have around.

Gwaine stood, offering a toast to the couple. Everyone raised their glasses in response, and Gwen blushed again.

'Long live the Queen!'

XxX

Merlin perched on the battlement wall, his ancient blue cloak fluttering in the wind. It was the same one Arthur had given him the night of the battle, nearly three years ago. Arthur had offered to have a new one made, but Merlin had turned him down.

He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, breathing in the fresh, crisp morning air. This was one of his favourite times of the day. It was so quiet and peaceful, with the citizens of Camelot only just waking to prepare for their day; their days that were made so much easier with the aid of magic. Merlin smiled gently in the wind; it was amazing how much could change in so little time.

Arthur had immediately repealed the magic ban the morning after Merlin's battle with Mordred. Nobody had disagreed with his decision; they'd all seen how the druids had come to their King's aid. Merlin had sworn fealty to Arthur and Camelot there and then, and so had Iseldir and Gilli. Alator was adamant that he was loyal only to Emrys, but Arthur was fine with that. He had still sworn fealty to the king, just through Merlin instead. Within the week, Merlin was promoted to Court Sorcerer of all Camelot. And then disaster struck. Morgana had escaped from prison, most likely with the help of Mordred. It had been a while after that that they attacked, which made Merlin feel slightly smug; it had taken the both of them almost six months to figure out how to break Merlin's make shift charm.

Despite the constant resistance from the pair of sorcerers, Merlin and Arthur had brought peace and prosperity throughout the land of Camelot, and had proceeded to unite the Kingdom with two of the four others. There was resistance from King Lot in Escetia, and they were halfway through drawing up a treaty with King Alined, who was too much of a coward to refuse them. The dream of Albion was almost complete.

A soft chirping caught his attention, and he grinned at the dog sized dragon the leapt up onto the wall beside him.

'Good morning, Aithusa. What are you doing here?' The dragon responded by nuzzling his side, causing him to laugh softly, as he scratched the hatchling behind the ear, much like you would do with dog. Kilgharrah complained that Merlin was turning him into a softy; Merlin just said that he was beginning to sound like Arthur. The hatchling rested his head on Merlin leg, and the young warlock smiled, looking back out over the citadel.

'Now what have I told you about bringing your pets into the castle, _Mer_lin?'

'Call Kilgharrah a pet to his face; see what happens,' Merlin grinned back, as Arthur jumped up on the wall to sit next to him.

'I'd rather not if it's all the same with you. I don't think Camelot would want a roasted King.' They both laughed, before settling into silence.

'So… twins.' Arthur glanced at his friend.

'Yeah. Twins.'

'Are you OK with that?'

'Why wouldn't I be?'

Merlin raised an eyebrow at him, and Arthur sighed.

'It's a bit… overwhelming. I've been worrying about having one child, let alone two.'

'You and Gwen are going to be amazing parents…'

'Gwen is; I'm not so sure about myself.'

Merlin frowned at his friend, and Arthur shifted, glancing at his friend. 'Arthur, is this about _your _father?'

The king gave a light chuckle. 'Can't get anything past you, can I?' Merlin shook his head, and Arthur laughed lightly. 'Yeah, it's about my father. He's the only father I've ever known, and he wasn't exactly a good one. What if… What if I'm like that with my children?'

'Well, first of all, I've told you a hundred times that you're not your father in the last three years,' Merlin said with a soft, but firm voice. 'And, second, he's not really the only father you've ever know. Who was it who raised you?'

'Gaius, but…'

'Exactly. Gaius. Trust me, Arthur, if you are half the dad that you are a king, those kids are going to be the luckiest children in the world.'

Arthur stared at him a moment, before clapping him on the shoulder. 'You really need to settle down and have a family, Merlin. I'm pretty certain you'd be an amazing parent too.'

Merlin laughed. 'I don't think that'll be happening any time soon.' Arthur just shrugged.

'Something to think about.'

Merlin just rolled his eyes at the King.

'Arthur! Merlin!' They both turned at Leon's shout. 'They're on the move!'

XxX

The council was already assembled by the time the King and Warlock arrived. Arthur strode in and sat himself down in his seat, with Merlin right behind him.

'What's happened?'

'Morgana and Mordred have been sighted by the boarder. They seem to be attempting to gather an army.'

'Alined or Lot's boarder?'

'Alined, this time. Why would he risk the treaty?'

'He's been vying for a war for years,' Merlin muttered. 'And now he can use Morgana and Mordred to get what he wants.'

'Well, it's a step up from Trickler,' Arthur whispered, and Merlin hid his smirk. 'Send patrols to the villages nearest the boarder to assess the situation. Have Kilgharrah go with them.'

At this, Merlin burst out laughing, obviously remembering the last time Alined had tried to invade Camelot. Arthur kicked him, and Merlin struggled to bring himself back under control. 'You really think that one will work again?'

'It's worked the first two times, didn't it?' Arthur grinned. 'And if not…' He stood, looking around his council.

'Well, then we'll just have to give him hell.'

He stepped out from behind the table, and turned to his Court Sorcerer, who was stood by his side.

As always.

'Are you ready for them when they come?'

Merlin grinned at him, holding out his hand where his staff suddenly appeared in a flash of light. 'When aren't I?'

Arthur laughed and clapped him on the back.

Yes, they'd give them hell when they came. They always did, and they always would. The Once and Future King and Emrys, side by side, leading Camelot into a new age of peace, prosperity and magic. And no-one, not even insane evil sorcerers, could stand in their way.

**And so it ends! *sob* I've really enjoyed writing this story, and thank you for all the support I've received whilst writing it. There won't be a sequel. At least, there won't be one at the moment. If there is, it'll be during the summer holidays, but that's only if I get a few ideas for a plot line. **

**Thank you again to everyone, and to my wonderful beta's Hollyblue2 and Arthursmol, who are both still publishing in Alex Rider and Harry Potter fandom's respectively. I am, however, on hiatus till, earliest, 30****th**** May, the day after my last exam. But I will see you all again shortly afterwards, so keep an eye out for me! I'll still be around!**

**Please drop a review before you leave, and let me know what you think. Suggestions for a sequel or new plot are always welcome, as well as comments on how to improve!**

**I shall miss you all, but I hope to see you again soon.**

**TTFN  
>Valkyriexx<strong>


	17. NEW STORY!

Hello Again!

I can't believe I've been on hiatus for nearly a month. Feels like a life time. However, my new story, I Will Follow has now been published, following requests for a reveal fic where Arthur doesn't take the news so well. It is only a preview of things to come for now, however, I am hoping to get the next chapter up tomorrow. Please read and review to let me know if you'd like to read more!  
>Hope to see you soon!<br>TTFN  
>Valkyriexx<p> 


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